Preparations for Leaving Your Home

New England winters can be harsh, and many people in my area of Cape Ann leave for long periods over the winter. This is a guide for some things you can do to prepare for a house to make it through the winter without too many issues. A perfect house would be the best solution, but that’s not always realistic. Not everything can make this list, so I will focus on what customers do most commonly.

Fall Preparations

The fall is a great time to make some improvements while the weather is still nice, which will help in the upcoming months.

• Painting: Exterior painting is periodically needed to protect the siding and trim from the elements. Painting the outside of your home takes certain temperature requirements, so doing it in warmer months is best practice.
• Sealing Gaps and Cracks: Once freezing temperatures arise, pests try to make their way inside to keep warm. Water also seems to infiltrate areas during the freeze-thaw cycle and can cause significant issues. Sealing exterior siding gaps and cracks and filling any exterior cracks in masonry and other hardscapes can help avoid these issues.
• Clean & Improve Gutters and Drainage: Once the leaves are down it is a great time to clean the gutters and make any repairs needed. Don’t forget about clearing exterior drains as many of these systems clog over time.
• Insulation & Ventilation Improvements: Both major insulation improvements, as well as minor checks to seal up any loose ends can result in big benefits during the colder months.
• Heating System Service: Prior to the winter, have service completed for all your home’s heating and cooling equipment. If any heating repairs are needed, do those immediately. This will help ensure your heat doesn’t have unexpected issues when it’s too late.
• Prep the Exterior: Remove anything exterior that won’t hold up against snow and ice. For example, bring in planters and outdoor furniture and remove screens.
• Arrange a Landscaper: Arrange a landscaper for leaf pickup, snow removal, and any other maintenance you won’t be able to perform on your property. Have them check and remove branches that are low and may result in damage.
• Have your chimney swept: Have a chimney sweep out to inspect and clean your chimney. Make any needed repairs assuming you have a low-efficiency heating system that will be utilizing the chimney.
• Check your CO and Smoke Detectors: You should make sure all of your smoke and CO detectors are functioning and are under 10 years of age. You should replace all batteries proactively and consult best practices for where they are installed.

Departure Checklist

When you are about to leave, you should schedule a plan for last-minute items to be done for your departure.

• Schedule Home Watch Assistance: Coordinate your departure and any last-minute details and necessary meetings for your home watch professional. Home Watch companies can help with numerous tasks in preparation for leaving but it takes good communication and planning.
• Consider Winterizing Your Home: Many homeowners will have their homes professionally winterized to prevent any issues with piping. Keep in mind this involves turning off all water-based systems, including heat from a boiler in some cases, and may not be the best option. Extremely low temperatures can damage finishes and cause other issues, so you could consider keeping the heat on and manually shutting the water off.
• Set Up Emergency Contacts: You should have multiple options in case of an emergency such as neighbors, family, and friends who can go to your home in case of an emergency. You should also consider having a list of your preferred contractors and their contact information easily available.
• Winterize Exterior Water Faucets and Remove Hoses: Regardless of what you do with the water inside your home, your exterior water faucets should be turned off from the inside. All exterior water faucets should remain open on the outside. Frost-free hose bibs provide added protection but should still be winterized. All hoses should be removed and fully drained before storing.
• Consider shutting down your laundry: Laundry machines provide a big risk of leakage. The risk increases when the house is unoccupied. Shutting the water off to these devices is highly recommended.
• Consider Adding Light Timers: Add timers or smart switches around the home to improve security and make the house look occupied. Motion Lights can also aid with security.
• Set Up Mail Forwarding: You should have a plan for forwarding your mail and make sure it doesn’t build up while you’re gone. You can also set up the ability to screen mail at no charge through the postal service.
• Reduce Electrical Consumption: Turn off unneeded circuits, unplug power strips, and reduce as much of the phantom load as possible. This will be safer and help reduce utility bills during the time you are away.
• Set Your Thermostats: Most recommend having a minimal temperature of 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, just because it’s 55 at your thermostat doesn’t mean it’s nice and warm at your water piping… which could be close to freezing air leaking through the foundation wall.
• Prep Your Refrigerator: Don’t let food spend all winter festering in the refrigerator. Remove perishables and consider adding baking soda to block odors.
• Prep Your Vehicle: Move your car into its best location to be out of the way and free from damage. Consider adding a trickle charger to prevent battery issues when you return.
• Adjust Your Blinds – Consider closing the blinds or adding blinds for privacy and to increase security.
• Notify Your Alarm Company – It’s a good idea to tell your alarm company you will be gone and also update them with anyone who will be in the home while you are away.
• Clean and Empty the Trash – It may seem counterintuitive to clean before you leave the property, but a good cleaning and removing trash prior to departure will help the chances of any pest issues.

Long-Term Home Improvements

Some things can be done to make a home more resilient to storm and winter damage.

• Install an Automatic Whole-House Water Shutoff: There are a variety of water shutoff devices on the market, consider a whole-house water shutoff that is automatic and can prevent catastrophic damage in the event of a leak.
• Have Good Protection Against Ice Damming and Leakage: Upgrading your roof, insulation, ventilation, air sealing, siding, trim, windows, doors and other related systems can not only be less likely to leak but can prevent other issues such as ice damming and moisture problems. Roof wires and roof raking are just addressing the symptoms and not the problem.
• Have Point-Of-Use Leak Protection: Automatic water shutoffs can be installed at water heaters, laundry units, boilers, and other components in the home instead of a whole house shutoff.
• Well Maintained & Young Mechanicals: Having heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and water heating systems that are not too old can prevent unexpected failures in the home. Don’t push the life of your components if you won’t be around to monitor them.
• Add Other Smart Home Features – You could add cameras, smart home thermostats, low-temperature alarms, and numerous other systems to help identify and respond to potential issues while you are away.

There is no way to prevent all issues and these are only some of the improvements and preventative measures you could take.

Jameson Malgeri

Another Level Inspection LLC

www.anotherlevelinspection.com