Winterizing your Home

Protecting your home from the winter weather can also help protect yourself from home insurance claims in Rochester Hills, MI.

• Protect Pipes: Frozen pipes can lead to thousands of dollars in flood damage. An easy way to protect your home from water damages it to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place. Wrap any crawl space and basement pipes with insulation and be sure to cover any exposed pipes. Open cabinet doors to let warm air flow around them and let the faucet drip to keep water moving.
• Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector: Furnaces and other heat sources can leak carbon monoxide and, if not properly ventilated, can be deadly. Protect your family by having a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of the home.
• Clean Storm Drains and Gutters: Regular cleaning of any storm drains or gutters can help prevent ice buildup, cracking gutters, and any melting snow that leaks into the basement. If you are paying to get your gutters cleaned, contractors will also do a check up on the roof, which is also good.
• Seal Air Leaks: Sealing air leaks will help keep the warm air in the home and save on energy costs.
• Use Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding isn’t only good for winter months, but in the winter it can help combat the extremely cold temperatures and is five times thicker than vinyl siding. In the other seasons, it helps resist mold and moisture and is resistant to pets and fire damage.
• Trim Branches: Trim branches away from the roof or hire a tree removal service to get rid of any branches that could be a threat to the home, driveway, and yard.

Ask an agent at Guy Hurley McNeil if you get any discounts from winterizing your home. Contact Guy Hurley McNeil, serving Rochester Hills, MI, to get a quote on home insurance.