Five Tips For Winterizing Your Albuquerque Home

In spite of our relatively mild Albuquerque winters, the upcoming season brings the possibility of extreme cold, high winds and damaging ice. Taking steps to winterize your home now will minimize damage and protect your important investment when the winter months arrive. Just because snow is only an occasional happenstance in our area doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take these steps to protect our homes.

Clean Your Gutters

The first thing to do is to clean out your gutters and downspouts. Debris that is allowed to linger in the gutters will most likely cause the gutter to back up.

If this happens during the winter months, the water will most likely freeze, potentially damaging your gutters. Also, the backed up water could seep under your shingles and freeze there, damaging your roofing and necessitating costly replacement.

Ensure Proper Drainage Outdoors

Next, ensure that your downspouts run into an underground system, or at least drain three feet or further away from the house. Water draining any closer to your Albuquerque home can freeze around the foundation. If the water continually thaws and refreezes, structural cracks can form in the foundation of your home. Remember to remove all hoses from the spigots, drain them and store them in the basement over winter.

Check the attic insulation to confirm that there is a sufficient quantity to keep your home warm during the winter season. If the thickness is less than 11 inches, contact a roofing professional to have insulation added.

Repair Loose Shingles

Have a roofing professional inspect your home to ensure that any loose flashings or shingles are secured. The fierce winds, heavy snow and build up of ice that descend upon your home in winter can destroy your roofing if it isn’t properly secured.

One of the most important steps in winterizing your home is to have a certified HVAC professional inspect your hearing system, well in advance of the frigid winter season. Heating systems that are in good repair and clean use energy much more efficiently than their dirty counterparts. Additionally, the heating system is less likely to break down on a cold winter’s day, just when you need it most.

Contact us today to get your Albuquerque HVAC system running at peak efficiency. It is important to get your heating system inspected as soon as possible, to allow for time to correct any potential problems before the winter months hit your home.

Winter is nearly here! To get the best advice on winterizing your Albuquerque, NM home, call Daniel’s Heating and Air Conditioning at (505) 898-8860 today.