Winterizing Your Home part 5

Landscape

• Patio furniture should be covered.
  
• If there is a deck, it might need an extra coat of sealer.
  

Adequate winterization is especially crucial for homes that are left unoccupied during the winter.  

This sometimes happens when homeowners who own multiple properties leave one home vacant for months at a time while they occupy their summer homes.  

 Foreclosed homes are sometimes left unoccupied, as well. The heat may be shut off in vacant homes in order to save money.

Such homes must be winterized in order to prevent catastrophic building damage.   In addition to the information above, Der Hous Inspector advises the following measures to prepare an unoccupied home for the winter:

• Winterize toilets by emptying them completely. Antifreeze can be poured into toilets and other plumbing fixtures.   
• Winterize faucets by opening them and leaving them open.
• Water tanks and pumps need to be drained completely.
• Drain all water from indoor and outdoor plumbing.
• Unplug all non-essential electrical appliances, especially the refrigerator. If no electrical appliances are needed, electricity can be shut off at the main breaker. 
  

  In summary, home winterization is a collection of preventative measures designed to protect homes against damage caused by cold temperatures.

 These measures should be performed in the fall, before it gets cold enough for damage to occur.

 Indoor plumbing is probably the most critical area to consider when preparing a home for winter, although other systems should not be ignored.