Preparing Your Home For the Changing Climate

It’s that time of year again. It’s the time of year when lazy summer days fade quietly into the cooler days of fall. The turning of the season brings many changes, most significantly, temperature differences. As most of us marvel at the changing colors and watch the wildlife prepare for another winter, we often forget that we, like the busy little critters around us, should be preparing our homes for the upcoming climate changes as well.

Many property owners don’t give much thought to winter preparation beyond stocking the wood pile, locating snow shovels or snow blowers not used since last season and making sure we have plenty of salt on hand for the slippery walkways we’ll encounter this season. In fact, the winter season can bring a myriad of unfortunate, common, cold related property incidents. While most of us have heard of furnace failures, burst piping and worse, we rarely imagine it will happen to our own properties.

Unfortunately, a lack of warning and lack of preparation can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in property damage that could easily have been avoided! There are any number of advance warning systems that can be obtained cost effectively and save you thousands!

Temperature alarm dialers have gained a great deal of popularity in the last decade. These alarms will monitor the temperature in any given room of your property and call a desired set of telephone numbers if an alarm condition is met. Early warning of furnace failure can prevent burst piping and costly water damage as a result! Water damage is one of the leading causes of home disasters. Not only is the clean up from these incidents extensive and expensive, the resulting mold and mildew problems can make a residence uninhabitable!

If you plan on leaving property unattended this coming winter season, be sure you have the necessary safe guards in place to secure your investment. There are many practical steps to winterizing your vacation residence or other unattended property. Be sure to have your furnace checked before the cold weather really sets in. Replace all furnace filters and have your ducts cleaned if relevant to ensure maximum air flow. If the residence is to be left unattended, be sure to shut off water and have all accessible pipes insulated.

Following these simple steps and installing a freeze alarm dialer will ensure that you will always be the first to know if something does happen – and that you’ve put measures in place to ensure your investments winter safety!

Donna J. Seymour