The midwest is ready to take on some winter weather. It’s the week of Christmas, families are traveling, houses are full, and we are heading into a New Year. It’s important to not only enjoy this time with family and friends, but to also make sure your house is safe and healthy for all of your guests. As the leading concrete lifting and leveling experts in Kansas City, PolyMagic wants to offer 5 tips to get your house ready for winter. These insider tips can help you throughout the coldest and snowiest days ahead. Tip #1: Check Your Chimney and Furnace
As we make the switch from the air conditioner to heater, many families are utilizing their chimneys and furnace more now than ever. The heat is imperative during this sub-freezing weather, so make sure you perform any cleaning and maintenance needed.
RELATED: How to Clean a Chimney
Should you begin to detect cracks or issues with your chimney, you may have a foundation repair need on your hands. Luckily, PolyMagic’s sister company, PierMagic offers chimney repair services, which typically are related to your home’s foundation. If you see any of the below signs or symptoms surrounding your home’s chimney, reach out to PierMagic for a free estimate. The cool part… it’s PolyMagic’s sister company, so if you have any concrete repair or foundation repair needs, it can be evaluated on the same appointment!
- Cracks in the bricks (interior or exterior) near the chimney
- House pulling away from the chimney
- Leaning walls
- Water or air coming out from areas in the wall or near the chimney
If you see any of the above issues, you should call a professional and get a free estimate.
Tip #2: Check your sidewalks, driveways, porch, patio, or garage concrete
This is the season for ice, sleet, snow, and even rain, so now is a great time to check your sidewalks, driveways, porch, patio, and garage concrete areas. One way to find out if an area is sinking is to walk around your house after a rainfall and look for pooling water. You can do the same after a snow or ice storm… walk around your home and look for icy patches. This can be an indicator of pooling water that has settled into a sinking concrete area. Another huge indicator of concrete issues is uneven areas. Have you noticed trip hazards around your sidewalk or driveway, even garage area? This is a trip hazard that can end up costing the homeowner a lot of money and insurance hassle should someone step trip and fall on the uneven concrete. Did you know the #1 leading reason for ER visits is because of falls? Those falls are typically seen on concrete or stairs, so protect yourself and your assets.
Tip #3: Clean your gutters and add downspouts
Your home’s gutters are literally the vessel carrying water away from your home. Think about it for a second… during the fall, leaves are falling and cluttering the gutters on your home.Without property maintenance and cleaning, the gutters will continue to fill with leaves and debris, inhabiting the flow of water away from your home. According to Grey Water Action, an example on a 2,000 square foot roof, you can collect 2,000 x 0.56 = 1,120 gallons/inch of rain. If your average rainfall was 25 inches/year, your annual collection potential is 1,120 x 25= 28,000 gallons/year. So, we don’t want the thousands of gallons of water sitting on your roof, causing excess weight and damage… the gutters will kick into work and push the water away from your home. So, be sure your gutters are clean for easy water flow, and have extenders and downspouts added onto them. The further away the water can be carried from your home’s foundation, the better.
Tip #4 of the 5 Tips to get your house ready for winter: Insulate, insulate, and insulate
One way to decrease your heating and electric bill is to ensure the areas around your home with direct exposure to the elements are insulated. For example, your home’s crawl space, attic, and garage are all directly exposed to the exterior walls of the home. Without proper insulation, the heat and cold air will have direct access to the inside of the home, causing the heating element and air conditioner to run constantly. PolyMagic’s sister company, PierMagic, offers encapsulation and waterproofing services for your crawl space. The benefits of this include:
- Greater energy efficiency
- Reduce moisture, mildew, and condensation in the crawl space
- Reduce spots for pests and rodents to enter the home
- Increase your resale value for future homeowners
- Keep your warm and cool air inside of the home
- Extend the life of your HVAC system
Reach out for a free estimate on your crawl space encapsulation!
RELATED: Crawl Space Insulation – What Your Should Know
Tip #5: Check for low-hanging tree limbs
- As tree limbs grow heavier and heavier with ice and snow throughout the winter, the branches will weaken, causing them to potentially fall. If a limb falls it can cause physical harm to residents or visitors to the property. In addition, loose tree branches can fall and damage your house, roof, torching, siding, or personal property. According to Consumerreports.org, before the first snow, have a reputable tree service, landscape contractor, or arborist remove any dead or ailing tree branches. If you need any help finding a reputable landscape or tree service company, we can provide some trusted companies. As a local Kansas City business, we rely heavily on other local businesses to know and understand the clay soil and landscaping structure around this area. Oftentimes referred to as “widow makers,” don’t let the trees around your property become a liability for yourself and visitors to your home.
As we wrap up the 5 Tips to get your house ready for winter, we hope you will find the transition to the cold weather nice and peaceful. However, if you experience any foundation cracks, chimney issues, or concrete unevenness, please reach out to our team. As always, we provide free estimates. 816-765-4800
