The Big Freeze

Yikes! This year we have seen some crazy weather right? One minute it's a gorgeous sunny winter day, and the next the air it so cold, it literally hurts our faces. Well that's winter in New York right? Right. We are used to this kind of roller coaster weather, but is your home? Here are some tips to keep your house safe when the polar vortex comes to town:

1. Your roof is strong, but maybe not THAT strong. Have you ever wondered how much snow weight your roof can actually hold? No? Me neither. But now is the time to figure it out, because it can be heavy stuff! Try using this Snow Load Calculator to get an idea of what to expect from your roof- a good rule of thumb is to remove snow when it reaches about 6 inches at the most.

2. Make your heating system work smarter, not harder! Think about it- when it's 0 degrees outside, it’s going to be a harder job for your furnace to keep it at 70 degrees in the house. So give it a break, and turn it down a touch! This will help keep your house warm enough, without overworking your heater. To keep the heat in as much as possible, close your blinds and curtains, and keep outer doors and unused rooms closed up when it's really cold! And don’t forget the hoodies and blankets!

3. Say no to frozen pipes! Lines running along exterior walls are especially at risk when the temps really drop, so before they do- invest in some inexpensive pipe insulation. No time for that? Keep your faucets at a trickle and open up those cabinet doors to keep warm air circulating.

Do you have more cold weather tips? Message us with your tips on our Facebook page and you may be featured!

Visit House Beautiful for the full article.