How to Check For Issues in Your Home After the Big Freeze

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States all over America have been experiencing what can only be described as ‘The Big Freeze’ over the past several weeks. Not only has that meant having to wrap up to hike our way to go buy groceries to feed our kids, but that also means that some of us have had to live without heat or power which has the potential to create plenty of issues within our homes. Here are some of the things you should check for in your home following the adverse weather conditions.

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Check Your Water and Drainage Systems

Water pipes throughout the country have been struggling to supply drinking water to people’s homes in some areas due to frozen pipes. As things start to go back to normal, you may want to run warm water through your faucets before turning on the cold water. You want to run it for a few minutes to make sure that you get access to fresh, clean water.

You should run the warm water first to help to minimize the potential for frozen pipes.

Check heating and other appliances

Millions of households will have felt the impact of the cold when their electricity went out. This means no heating systems within the home, and no refrigeration.

Make sure to check that your heating system is working properly to minimize the effects of the cold on you and your family’s health.

Secondly, if you did find your power went out then you should check the temperature of your fridge and freezer. Food that has warmed in temperature may become spoiled and could make your family sick if it is eaten.

Check all food is safe to eat, or better yet, clear out the fridge and freezer, use it as an opportunity to defrost your freezer and to give your fridge that deep clean you’ve been putting off for ages.

Check the Roof

During the cold weather, the chances are that your roof may have become damaged as a result of the cold weather. If enough ice accumulates on the roof, it can form ice dams, which can cause major damage to your gutters and tear the flashing off the roof. You should have a professional come and look at your roof to see if you need to have any roof repair done. It is imperative that somebody with expertise comes to inspect and do the job right. This job is really too dangerous without the right equipment.

Clear your Pathways

Although not many of us are getting many visitors any time soon, you should still take the time to clear your pathway as people are invited into your home even before knocking on the door. Your job is to ensure any visitors stay safe, even if it’s only those delivering packages! Any accidents outside of the home can make you liable for any expensive insurance claims. To avoid any accidents you should sprinkle your path with some salt. Just one tablespoon will prevent slippery paths of up to 1 square meter. This is a very easy, inexpensive way of making sure nobody takes a tumble outside your door.

This is a contributed post.

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