Prepare Your Home for Winter 2018

Fall is just beginning in some areas, but in the Northern United States we are already seeing winter conditions begin. Before it’s too late, it’s time to prepare your home for winter and get ready for storms. Whether you’re prepping the outside or inside, being prepared for bad weather is extremely important for the health of your home. Here we discuss a few tips to get your home ready.

Clean Your Gutters

The first tip is one of the most important when you want to keep water out of your basement or crawlspace. It may seem like in winter you wouldn’t see any water, but you’d be surprised at the water seepage we see in basements even in the winter. To combat this, make sure that your gutters are cleaned out before the winter season begins. Additionally, make sure that your downspout is at least five feet away from your foundation so that it doesn’t drain into the soil beside it. These two tips will make sure that even if snow or ice melts on the roof in warm spots it will not cause damage to your basement or crawlspace.

Cut Back Trees

While it likely won’t hurt your foundation from branches, it’s always a good idea to cut back trees before winter. You don’t want tree branches heavy with snow and ice to fall onto your home and cause a roof collapse or worse. Plus, when you have trees close to the home, it’s important to consider that you may have foundation problems. Tree roots reach out much farther than their base. When the tree is too close to the home, it can reach into the foundation and cause cracks and bowing walls. These must be resolved as soon as possible. It’s worthwhile to re-consider that tree you want to plant, or to take stock of the trees that you do have close to your home.

Make Sure Your Foundation is Stable

During this variable time of year where we don’t know if it will snow or be 80 degrees, your foundation is under a lot of stress. When the soil freezes and thaws, it can cause what is called frost heave. The frozen soil fills with water and expands, pushing against the side of the foundation and causing problems. To prevent this, make sure that your yard has proper drainage and soil is properly compacted. Additionally, get a free estimate and make sure that your foundation is stable and not susceptible to this type of damage. This may involve putting in supports to help your foundation stay where it’s at.

Rapid Foundation Repair Helps You Prepare Your Home

Whether you need advice about waterproofing or you want to get a free estimate to make sure your foundation is stable, Rapid Foundation Repair is here to help. We will come out to your property and perform a full inspection to let you know areas that you need repaired before the coming stress of winter. Take care of your home this winter and prepare it! Your home will thank you, and your wallet will thank you even more for the money you’ll save. Call Rapid Foundation Repair today for more information. Start preparing your home!