Winter Safety for Homeowners

If you are a homeowner, this is your friendly reminder to get ready for the snow ahead this winter! We wanted to take a moment and put together a quick list of things to keep in mind for snow and ice that can keep you and others safe in and around your home.

Salt the Driveway

Black ice is a huge hazard when it comes to personal injury in the winter. Stock up on a bag or two of de-icing salt to sprinkle on your driveway, front path and sidewalks, porches, patios, and outdoor steps when things freeze over. If you have pets, make sure to grab a pet-friendly variety as salt can burn their paws. De-icing salt can keep you, your family, neighbors, visitors, and passers-by safe on slick surfaces.

Heating Cables

If your home is prone to collecting snow on the roof without sliding off on its own, it may be worth the investment to have heating cables installed. This will help to prevent leaks, water damage, and cracks.

Prevent Freezing Pipes

A burst pipe is a homeowner’s worst nightmare in the winter. Water that sits in pipes can freeze and expand, bursting the pipe and wreaking havoc on anything in its path. Pipes located in unheated areas of the home or that are exposed to the outdoors are most likely to freeze, but avoiding this from happening is easy. Here are a few tips:

• Set up a space heater in unheated areas of the home, such as in the attic, basement, and crawlspace.
• Set up an infrared lamp next to pipes behind walls and floors. The heat generated from the lamp will pass through the structural materials and prevent the hidden pipe from freezing.
• Wrap uninsulated pipes with electrical tape or insulation.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes below

Clean the Chimney

With fireplaces in use all season long, it is extremely important to have your fireplace inspected and cleaned annually. This will help prevent fire disasters in the home.

Prevent Gutter Collapse

With snow and ice build-up in gutters, winter snow storms can cause your gutters to become too heavy with debris and collapse. Before any storms arrive, ensure that water can easily drain from the gutters, without pooling in one area. This will help relieve your gutters from unwanted build-up.

While these steps may already be on your radar, we hope these reminders help prevent any unwanted hazards in the ice and snow this winter.

At North Eastern Group Realty, we are prepared to assist our clients with their significant Fort Wayne real estate decisions. Our corporate commitment is to provide real knowledge, proven experience and professional, quality service. To search all Fort Wayne homes for sale or find a Fort Wayne realtor, visit our website at NorthEasternGroup.com.

North Eastern Group Realty is Fort Wayne’s largest independent real estate company located at 10808 La Cabreah Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 46845.