How to Protect Yourself and Your Home in the Winter

As we prepare for more snow and cold weather, how do we protect ourselves and our homes? CF Funding has put together a few tips to keep you safe.

A great way to keep cold air from entering the home is to weatherstrip your doors, or keep a towel or rug along the bottom of the doors and/or windows.

When extremely low temperatures are expected, make sure your home is heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. Although the cost of heating your home may seem out of budget this winter, put your safety first to prevent walls and pipes from freezing.We suggest that you wrap pipes with foam insulation or heat tape to prevent freezing and bursting. Keep cabinets open under the sink to keep the area ventilated. Be sure to run the water periodically in all sinks in your home.

An easy tip that could save your family’s life is to prepare an emergency kit. Make sure you have extra blankets, candles and lighters in case the power goes out. Keep your phones charged or purchase a backup battery to make sure you stay alerted, and can call for help if needed. You can also purchase a battery operated radio for as low as $15. Keep canned foods, cereals, and water stocked in case you are snowed in for an extended period of time.

An emergency kit is also a great idea for the car. Make sure you have a blanket, gloves, handwarmers, a shovel, flashlight, and a distress flag and/or emergency triangles. 

According to the Weather Channel, flooding from melting snow can pose a large risk to you and your home. One precaution you may take is to ventilate your attic well, so the warm temperatures do not melt snow on the roof.  The water can refreeze at the edge of your roof, and “If ice builds up and blocks water from draining, water is forced under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your house.” There are also heated gutter guards made for this purpose, but they can be expensive.

If you feel that your home may be at risk for flooding, make sure electrical devices are raised off of the ground or kept out the basement, especially near windows. You may want to use plastic sheeting to cover cracks in walls or roofs. If flooding does occur from melting snow or a pipe burst, be sure to initiate cleanup as soon as it is safe to do so, to prevent rust and mold from forming. Ventilate the area with fans.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends bringing pets indoors when it's cold outside, according to KETV Omaha. They shared the following tips:

• Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm, as dogs can easily become lost.

• Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when coming inside from the sleet, snow or ice. Dogs could ingest salt, antifreeze or other dangerous chemicals while licking paws. Paw pads could also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

• Never leave your cat or dog alone in a car during cold weather.

• Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts

CF Funding asks that you do not underestimate the dangers of winter weather. Please bundle up and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family.