Prepping Your Home for Winter Weather

I know… I know… It’s only been cool for a week or so and it’s probably too soon to put up the summer clothes with our unpredictable weather. Even so, why not be one step ahead of the game and at least get our homes ready for winter? Better to be ahead than behind, right?

Start off by doing a walk through of your house, inside and outside. Check the windows and doors, specifically for drafts. You don’t want any warm air going out and you certainly don’t want any cold air coming in. You also want to check for breaks or cracks in your pipes and then cover them up with insulation to prevent them from breaking or cracking if it were to freeze this winter.

When’s the last time your gutters have been cleaned out? Now is the time to give them a check and clean them out to prevent damage to your home in a freeze. If you don’t get them cleaned out, melting ice and snow can get into your home through the roof or even flood your home because of full gutters not letting the melted ice or snow drain. While you’re cleaning your gutters or if you have your gutters cleaned by a professional, have them check out your roof as well for any damage. If there is damage to your roof and a snow or ice storm happens, once it all starts to melt, those damaged areas have the potential to let water seep into the roof and cause damage to the inside of your home. 

If you have a fireplace you should have that checked as well. Make sure that birds have not built nests in there and that you don’t have build up from last year’s cozy fireplace time. I’ve heard it said that chimney’s should be cleaned once a year, depending on how much you use it. Most companies will inspected it while they are there to clean it as well, checking the integrity of the chimney and making sure all is secure and clean before you use it.

STOCK UP... Our family made the mistake of not completely stocking up the year of Icemageddon back in 2013. We honestly didn’t think it was going to be that bad. Thank goodness we aren’t too far from a 7-11. We really needed to get out of the house anyway so we bundled up and made the trek on foot to stock up on as many things as we could carry. When Icemageddon of 2014 was on its way, WE WERE READY! Mental note taken and we were not going to get caught without supplies this time. Stocking up not just on the food but on batteries, wood for your clean fireplace in case the power goes out, candles, board and card games. It’s good to have these around your house once the weather starts to get cold that way you don’t have to fight the crowds. Avoid the madness and be prepared just in case there's an Icemageddon III. 

While the weather is nice, turn on your heater and open up your windows. Let your home air out from the funky smell the heater lets out when you turn on the heater for the first time. 

For more information on prepping your home for the winter, check out, “Winter Weather Home Maintenance Checklist” and the picture below.

The information contained in this page is provided for general informational purposes only. 

The Kirkwood Agency's Annual Christmas Open House and Shopping Extravaganza

The Kirkwood Agency's Annual Christmas Open House and Shopping Extravaganza

Join us for a night of fun and festivities!
Thursday, December 10th from 4:30pm - 8:30pm

Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency
130 E Hill St.
Keller TX 76248

We will have.....
Senior Angel Tree (Adopt a local senior citizen)
Pictures with Santa from 6:30 - 7:30 (FREE)
Shopping with local vendors (Scentsy, Mary Kay, Origami Owl, Ramon's Swag Bags, Younique, Stella and Dot, Doterra Oils, Massage Gift Certificates by Tara Hayden, Clothing Boutique, Pampered Chef, Princess House and more)
Wine tasting with Sarah
Can food drive to support Community Storehouse
Food and beverages

Make plans to stop by, we know it's a busy time of year, but you can get some Christmas shopping done and see some great people!

Hydroplaning

As we all know, if you live in Texas, expect the unexpected when it comes to the weather. It can be pouring rain one minute, stop raining and the ground dry as dry can be a few minutes later as if nothing ever happened. It’s the strangest thing but that’s how it goes.

Driving in the pouring rain can be difficult, especially if it’s coming down so hard that your windshield wipers can’t keep up with it. The more it rains the faster the wipers go and it’s just an overall distraction. And then there’s the possibility of hydroplaning. Now that is scary!

Our first instinct is to slam on the brakes which is not the right thing to do. Slamming on the brakes will just make matters worse, locking up the brakes and could also cause you to spin out. Hitting the gas is not the way to go either. Remaining clam is the first thing to do, point your vehicle straight and let it slow down on its own.

Driving like a NASCAR driver is not the way to drive in the rain. No one is saying to drive at a snail’s pace but slow it down. Driving at a high speed can cause you to hydroplane. If the tread on your tires is worn, that also could put you at a higher risk. You can check the tread with a penny by placing it upside down in the tread of the tire. If you can’t see Lincoln’s head, your tread is good. If you can see his head, I’d consider looking into buying new tires.

Cruise control when it’s raining is a no-no. Your vehicle does not know when it’s raining and won’t know to slow down when there’s water in the road. With your car in cruise control the water could cause your car to appear to be slowing down and therefore causing the cruise control to speed your car up. It’s always better for you to be in control of your vehicle, especially if it’s raining so give the cruise control a break.

Vehicle speed, tire tread and weather all can contribute to causing your car to hydroplane. Farmers posted a great article, Hydroplaning. What it is and how to avoid it with more detailed information and helpful tips on what hydroplaning is and how to prevent it.