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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
 One of the greatest joys of this season is the opportunity to say THANK YOU!!
Warm thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a New Year full of happiness and prosperity.
Paul MacDonald, Cindy Traverso,
Laurie Mancinelli |
Properly Winter-Proofing Homes for the Cold Season
Many winter-related DISASTERS can be prevented if homeowners take a few simple steps to protect their homes from the winter weather. To prepare your home for the upcoming winter, MTM offers the following tips:
OUTSIDE:
Clean out gutters. Remove leaves, sticks and other debris from gutters so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damming.
Install gutter guards. These prevent debris from entering the gutter and interfering with the flow of water away from the house and the ground.
Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind could cause trees and/or branches to break and damage your home or car or even worse, injure someone walking by your property.
Repair steps and handrails. Broken stairs and banisters can become extremely dangerous when covered with snow and ice.
Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations. This will prevent snowmelt from seeping in.
INSIDE:
Keep the house warm. The thermostat should be set for at least 65 degrees so that the pipes will not freeze.
Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof and then re-freeze; causing more snow and ice to build up. This can result in a collapsed roof and can contribute to ice damming. Well insulated basements and crawl spaces will help protect pipes from freezing.
Have your heating system serviced to prevent fire and smoke damage.
Check pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks. Wrap exposed pipes with heating tape.
Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system to prevent your pipes from bursting.
Make sure that smoke and fire alarms are working properly. If you haven't already, consider installing a carbon dioxide detector.
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