Enjoying the many colors of fall foliage while sipping a pumpkin spice treat are a few of the small joys of life during the autumn season. But, it also means that cold weather is right around the corner. Soon you’ll be decorating your home for the holidays and, yes, weathering the first major snowfall of the year. Bear in mind, there’s more to preparing for the winter months than taking out the heavy blankets and coats from storage.

As a responsible homeowner, you surely want to take proactive steps when it comes to preparing and protecting your most important asset. What follows are five ways to best prepare your home for the winter ahead.

HAVE YOUR ROOF INSPECTED

Take it from a GAF Master Elite Certified roofing contractor: Regular roof inspections are essential to maintaining the integrity of your roof and the value of the home it protects. If there are weak spots in your roofing system, water will eventually find a way to damage your roof and home. There’s no two ways about it. Call Aurum Contracting or contact us online today for your FREE ROOF INSPECTION! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS

It may seem like a hassle sometimes that you have to clean your gutters. But, your gutters are an important part of your home exterior that actually help protect your home from the damage that water can cause. Gutters keep water away from roofing layers, exterior walls, and your home’s foundation. If your gutters are clogged and dirty, they can’t do their job.

There are a few good DIY ways to clean your gutters, such as with a hose extension to spray debris out of gutters. But, for gutters that are too high up to reach, it’s dangerous to try and do this task yourself. Call your trusted local roofing contractor – Aurum Contracting! We’ll take care of this job for you.

KEEP WATER AWAY FROM THE FOUNDATION

The winter season means that there’s going to be a substantial amount snow, ice, and water to fall on your home. Whether the water is from hail, sleet, rain, or snow, it’s imperative to divert the water away from the exterior walls of your home. Meaning, away from your home’s foundation.

Your gutter system should be such that it carries water runoff about five to six feet away from the foundation. Another issue to consider is the snowpack. If you are raking snow off the eaves of your roof to prevent ice dams, the snow needs to be removed from being so close to the exterior walls of your home. Otherwise, you’re going to have a very large ice cube that’s going to melt straight down to your home’s foundation.

REVERSE CEILING FAN ROTATION

Ceiling fans are great accessories to save energy and help keep your home comfortable. During the summer, ceiling fans should force air to the floor, which creates a windchill effect. When winter rolls around, reverse the direction of your ceiling fans so that they pull air up to the ceiling. This will still help keep your home comfortable and disperse heated airflow more evenly. It will also help keep condensation off of windows.

SEAL WINDOWS & DOORS

Check all of the windows and exterior doors in your home for drafts. These drafts make your home less comfortable and increase your energy bills. You can seal windows and doors with various types of silicon caulking, weather-stripping, and foam strips that you can pick up at any home store.

By being prepared for winter, you’ll help protect your home, be more comfortable, and save energy. If you need the expert help of a professional home contractor, don’t hesitate to call Aurum Contracting at (608) 312-4343.