Protect Your Home This December (With These Tips)

Winter (and Christmas) are just around the corner!  Here are a few important things to keep in mind to keep your home, vehicle, and family protected this month.

Have you decorated your home for the holidays?  While Christmas lights are pretty safe, it’s overloaded extension cords and outlets that pose a fire threat.  Be smart when plugging in your lights.

Space heaters are another fire danger.  Only choose heaters that have an automatic off switch if they tip over and keep them far away from flammable materials or fabrics. 

If you choose a real Christmas tree, make sure to keep it watered and turn off the lights when you’re not home. 

Before Santa arrives (or you light those fireplaces), make sure your chimney is clean! 

If the temperatures dip too low, remember to let your faucet drip slowly.  This will relieve pressure in the pipes and prevent them from freezing and bursting. 

Make sure your tires are well aired and in great shape, especially if you will be driving on icy roads.

Say a “Thank you!” to all of the First Responders in our community who work long hours during the holidays to keep us safe! 

We wish you and your family a happy holiday season!  We’d love to keep you protected all year long.  Give us a call today at 205-347-9343 for a free quote and consultation.

We will be closing at 1 PM on Christmas Eve (24th) and will be closed Christmas Day (25th) through Sunday the 27th. And will be opening at 9 AM on Monday the 28th. A very merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays from all of us! 

Do you have ice dams?

You can help prevent serious damage to both the roof and inside of your home by minimizing the likelihood that an ice dam will develop, and by removing one as soon as you spot it. Ice dams can form when water from melting snow re-freezes at the edge of your roofline. Without roof snow removal, an ice dam may grow large enough to prevent water from draining off the roof. This water can then back up underneath roof shingles and make its way into your home. 

  

How Do You Know if You Have an Ice Dam?

• Look carefully at the icicles around the exterior of your house. If they are confined to the gutters and there is no water trapped behind them, then an ice dam has likely not formed. Nonetheless, icicles can pose a danger to people when they fall off, so try to safely knock them down while standing on the ground, making sure not to stand directly beneath them. If you cannot safely reach them from the ground, consider hiring a contractor to help.
• Check for water stains or moisture in the attic or around the tops of exterior walls on the top floor of your house. Stains and moisture may indicate that an ice dam has formed and water has penetrated the roof membrane.

  

How to Remove an Ice Dam:

• Melt the ice dam. Fill a nylon stocking with calcium chloride ice melt, and place it vertically across the ice dam so that it melts a channel through the dam. If you try this, make sure you can safely position the ice melt on your roof, and make sure to use calcium chloride, not rock salt. Rock salt will damage your roof. Also, be aware that shrubbery and plants near the gutters or downspouts may be damaged.
• Get professional help. If you cannot safely reach the roof, avoid using a ladder in snowy and icy conditions. Consider hiring a contractor to remove the ice dam.

I you need the help of a contractor, we recommend Mike Dhembe, he can be reached at http://www.mdhembeschimneysweep.com/ and 508-765-9600.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. 

The Snowbird’s Guide to Winterizing Your Home

Before we know it will be that time of year to pack up and go south for the winter to escape the New England winter’s fury. Here are some tips to start thinking about before you leave for securing your home while you’re gone:

•Turn the heat down but keep it high enough so that you won’t end up with frozen pipes that could burst

•Set programmable timers for the lights and television so that it appears that you are still living in the home

•Lock all windows and doors, including the inside garage door to the house, and place steel bars in slider doors

•Give a trusted friend or neighbor a key and ask them to check the house periodically

•Arrange to have the snow cleared from your sidewalk and driveway

•Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway periodically

•Add motion-detecting security lights outside

•Make sure your gutters are cleaned to prevent ice damns damage while you’re gone