How To Prepare Your Properties For Winter — Today!
In many parts of the country, harsh winter weather is looming dangerously closer. Property managers usually think that a fall maintenance routine only consists of raking leaves and clearing gutters among other tasks, but fall is actually the perfect season to prepare your properties for winter. If your property is in an area that goes through long stretches of snow, wind, and ice, it’s best to take a lot of caution in preparing for what’s about to come.
If you don’t make the choice to deal with these potential situations before they happen, you might end up with pretty significant repair jobs that could have been easily prevented. Take a look at some ways property managers, landlords and owners can prepare their properties for the winter months:
- Conduct a roof inspection.
If you’ve ever had to go through repairing or replacing broken roof shingles in winter, you’ll know that it’s a very unpleasant and challenging experience. If you inspect the roof during warmer months, you’ll be able to make sure that it’s strong enough to brave even the strongest blizzards.
- Prune branches, shrubs and hedges.
The weight of ice and snow can make trees and large shrubs snap easier than you think. Go around the perimeter of your property and trim any plants that need them. A bonus to this routine is that they’ll be healthier come spring time!
- Unclog rain gutters.
This is a crucial task that should be done every fall, because it directly impacts your property once snow falls. Ensure that your rain gutters can drain water without any impediment by clearing out all debris. A clogged gutter means your roof will have to suffer through damager made by ice dams, melted snow and poor drainage.
- Inspect your heating system, doors and windows.
Find the spaces around windows and doors where heat is most likely to escape and repair them now to help tenants avoid a high heating bill. Test the heating system as well so you’ll be able to address potential issues now and not during winter, when repairmen’s schedules are full.
- Fix cracks in the sidewalk and driveway.
A sealed sidewalk and driveway is very important as water can get into the cracks and expand them as it freezes and thaws. Small cracks during the fall months can eventually become a safety hazard once winter leaves. Prevent this from getting worse by using a concrete sealer made for this situation.