I don't know how to feel about snowy weather! On the one hand, everything looks so beautiful when it snows. Looking outside your window will show you a scene that wouldn't look out of place on a postcard. On the other hand, snow is one of the most annoying things for homeowners. It can cause leaks, damage your piping, create slip hazards, and potentially lock you in your home!
Now, it's a bit early for the snow to start falling in most places, but give it a month, and you may start seeing some. Thus, it's the perfect time to get some protective measures in place and snowproof your home.
Get a snowblower to move any snow
You can't stop snow from falling, but you can prevent it from blocking you in your house. Snow shovels do a good job of removing it in small doses, but a snowblower is required for larger areas of snow. Essentially, this tool helps you clear away snow from your driveway and around your house. It stops you from being snowed in, meaning you don't have to worry about living on rations for a few days!
If you already have a snowblower, don't assume that you can sit back and relax! Take it out of the shed to see if it's still working. You'll probably need to change the oil, which you can learn about by clicking here. Once your snowblower passes all the checks, it's ready to be called into action when required.
Stock up on salt or grit
If you go to any DIY store, you should find large bags of snow or grit. Failing this, they should be found online. Basically, you need to stock up on a few bags of this to scatter along your driveway and on the path outside your home. Don't do it now! You only need to do this when the weather is super cold, and there's snow/ice forecast.
The salt/grit offers protection from slips and falls in snowy weather. It gives your feet more grip, but it also stops the snow from settling. Instead of a dangerous icy path leading to your home, you have a wet one that's covered in grit to keep anyone from falling over. For me, this is the most important tip as it keeps your family safe. If you have little kids or elderly parents, it’s easy for them to slip on snowy/icy surfaces and do some serious damage to their bones.
Clear out your gutters
Don't neglect your gutters over the winter months. During the short fall season, so many leaves will be blown into your gutters. This can clog them up, which creates enormous problems if there's any snowfall. The snow settles in your gutters and freezes the leaves, creating blockages that stop water from passing through. In turn, this can lead to leaks in your roof as the gutters overflow and water seeps between the roofing tiles.
You can buy long poles with a tool on the end that helps you clean your gutters without needing to go on a ladder. It could be worth getting a company to come in and do it for you, just to be safe. Regardless, clean gutters won't become frozen over when it snows.
It's probably slightly too early for most of us to worry about snow just yet. Still, these tips are here to help you prepare for the bad weather. As soon as snow is even partially hinted at, refer back to these tips to make your home as snowproof as can be.
