6 Steps To Winterize Your House

If you live in Mansfield or any other part of the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, you generally don't have to worry much about cold weather affecting your home. However, as we learned a couple of years ago, every now and then we see bitter cold temperatures in this area, and when we do, it is important to make sure your house is prepared!

Staying safe and warm all winter long in DFW is fairly easy and inexpensive. To protect your house during winter, follow these steps:

Have a qualified HVAC technician examine your heating system.

Generally speaking, our heaters in DFW don't wear out as quickly as our air conditioners, but it's still a good idea to have your system inspected to insure it is heating properly and safely.

Protect your pipes.

If you have any exposed pipes, be sure to wrap them in cloth or foam. Also, cover your outdoor faucets with a faucet cover. If you know you have pipes located in an exterior wall and if we do see extreme low temps again, it's a good idea to run a space heater along that wall and perhaps a fan to circulate the warm air around the area where the pipes are located. Just be sure you plug the space heater directly into an outlet (never plug it into an extension cord or power strip) and that you keep an eye on it in order to prevent fires.

Disconnect water hoses.

If you've already put a faucet cover on your outdoor faucets, you have already done this. But, just in case...make sure you disconnect all outdoor water hoses. Leaving them attached during a cold weather event can cause the faucets to burst.

Clean your chimney. If you have a wood-burning fireplace that you use regularly, make sure to have it inspected and cleaned every 2-3 years.

Seal all cracks and openings around doors and windows.

It's always a good idea to apply fresh caulk to doors and windows, especially if you can feel cold air coming in.

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is most prevalent in winter due to the extensive use of gas heaters. If you don't have gas in your house, then this is a much less likely scenario for you, although you could still experience carbon monoxide poisoning from other sources. Make sure your detectors are in good working order with fresh batteries.

If you plan to be away from your home for any length of time, it's a good idea to open a faucet inside and shut off the water at the curb. This would prevent any pipes bursting in the event we do have cold weather.

Any questions about your home? Reach out to us any time! Davey Goosmann Realty is here to serve you.

817.539.9434