Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter in New Jersey | Sponsored by Peter's General Construction LLC
It’s no secret that New Jersey has battled some historical weather this season with Hurricane Ida making national headlines. We were lucky that our basement didn’t flood, but our whole area got torn apart by the storm.
It’s a good idea to start preparing our homes for winter weather. The 2021-2022 forecast is predicting a colder start with more snow likely in December -- brrrr! Meteorologists say that due to a weak to moderate La Nina year, we can expect colder than average temperatures and above-average snowfall. Experts are also predicting that two-thirds of the season will be warmer than normal with less snow than typically seen on average.
So what does all that mean when it comes to protecting your house? A few things.
Prune your trees and remove older dead trees
With a lot of snowfall and the possibility of blizzards, you’re going to want to make sure you’ve trimmed back any large trees near your house. Trees can suffer severe damage without your help.
As a new homeowner, I had no idea you had to prune trees but I quickly learned that it’s a must. When weak branches fall, they can wreak havoc on surrounding areas: whether it’s a fence or a power cable. We’ve had both happen and it’s the worst! We’ve had to replace broken fences and lost power for 10 days due to a fallen branch. Not fun! Now we prune judiciously!
Here’s a photo from when we lost power for 10 days while Archie was a newborn:
It can be sad to remove older or dead trees but they simply aren’t storm safe. We had a few trees around our house removed in preparation for winter storms. The trees we took down were either dead or half dead and posed a threat to our house if a blizzard hit!
Get your roof inspected and strengthened
The first place to suffer the effects of a blizzard or strong storm is the exterior of your house.
Roofing, siding, and gutters are most likely to become damaged during a storm. I know that our gutters always fly all over the place after a storm!
Peter's Roofing offers before and after-storm services to inspect your roof, siding, gutters, and even skylights before a problem occurs. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having suffered damage to the exterior of your home, Peter's Roofing specializes in expert repair of roofs, gutters, siding, skylights, and more. Peter's Roofing employs expert estimators who can help you determine which roof is best for your home and your budget. When it's time for installation, Peter's Roofing pays careful attention to project timelines and budgets to remain within the parameters while adhering to quality and safety standards. The experts in Warren County roofing repair who can help you determine which roof is best for your home and your budget.
Founded by Pedro Guaman, Peter's Roofing Company is recognized as one of the best roofing contractors in New Jersey. Pedro, his brothers, and other related families continue to exceed their clients’ expectations with their professional and efficient work, which includes roofing, siding, gutters, doors, windows, skylights, chimneys, attic fan, roof leak repair, flat roof repair installations and replacements, roof pipes, exterior renovations and exterior home improvement that will bring joy to you and your family for years to come.
Have an emergency plan for your animals
This is something that not many people think about but is absolutely critical to keep our furry or feathered friends safe. We have a small farm, and in the event of extreme weather we have to have systems in place to keep them safe.
For example, we have 36 chickens. In the event of an emergency, they’ll have to stay locked up in their coop for days. We have to have a way to get out to them, provide them food, water, and proper ventilation so that they don’t get sick from their own droppings.
We also have 4 dogs. In the event of a blizzard, we have to have a way for them to go to the bathroom safely and enough food for them to eat in case we’re stuck at home for many days.
On a similar note, it’s good to understand what the evacuation plan looks like in your town if you ever have to evacuate. Having crates on hand to transport your animals in case of emergency is also important.
I hope these tips on keeping your home safe in winter weather help you out! I’m hoping for a warm winter with light snow and lots of joy! I love seeing all the trees white with snow but I don’t like freezing temperatures or blizzards!