5 Things You Need To Know To Protect Your Summer Home in the Winter
The winter cold is upon us once again, which means it’s time to think about protecting your home. In fact, think about that place you go to in the summer for a relaxing vacation. That’s right, your summer home will certainly need protection this winter. The snow and freezing winter temperatures can be damaging to any home, especially the ones that are unoccupied for a prolonged period of time. We’re here to help you safeguard your summer oasis.
Start by inspecting your summer home
Before you can go about implementing protection measures, take the time to know where your home is currently. The most important thing is to keep the heating in your home at the right temperature, which requires the right amount of energy. Have a professional conduct an energy audit on your summer home to help you gauge its resilience against extreme temperatures. You will need to retain as much heat as possible and the reality is that cold weather can magnify existing issues within any space.
Additionally, an energy audit can help you identify gaps where you can save on energy with your current appliances, as you prepare to invest in heating solutions. A professional will also be helpful in helping you choose the best heaters for your current electrical supply, to mitigate against high costs.
Another form of inspection is checking for possible under-door drafts and air leaks with doors and windows that will need to be sealed. To determine if you have an air leak from a window, light a piece of toilet paper and hold it up to the window. If the paper begins to smoke or move quickly, an air leak is present.
Five ways to protect your summer home in the winter
Protect your Windows
The first way you can protect your windows is to install a solution that can withstand extreme temperatures. Talius’ Rollshutter, supplied by Shutters and Shade, is the ultimate solution for many reasons, one of which is providing heat in the winter. When installed, they turn your home into a fortress, reduce heating costs significantly and increase winter-time insulation by up to 25%.
Another protection measure is sealing your windows is one way to retain heat. There are several weather-stripping materials available to do this:
- High-quality silicone rubber
- Foam tape
- Felt
- Door Sweeps
- Draft snakes
Install heaters
There is a range of heaters on the market to keep your home as warm as possible.
- Radiant heaters are now becoming popular as they heat the floor, rather than the ceiling, making the floor the primary source of heat
- Electric heaters are extremely efficient which is important for smart energy use and spending
Insulate your pipes
Insulating your pipes helps with efficiency because you want to avoid the stress and cost of pipes freezing or bursting.
Install programmable thermostats for your heaters
It is critical that you ensure your summer home maintains a minimum of 65 degrees, as anything lower will lead to unwanted problems. Technology has now made it very easy to operate your thermostat from your phone.
Consider a standby generator
Maintaining the energy levels within your home is important and loss of power can lead to costly effects. A dual-use generator for natural gas, liquid propane, or gasoline can automatically kick in when power is lost, and ensure your home’s temperatures remain at an optimum.
Bonus: Have your gutters cleaned frequently
Ice and snow build-up will be hazardous to your gutters over time, especially after a heavy downpour caused by a storm. Have a professional clean your gutters regularly.
