Preparing your Home for a Vacation over the Holidays
Do not allow the winter chill to freeze your spirits – prepare your home well and enjoy your vacation carefree!
If the idea of spending the holidays on a tropical beach or at an all-inclusive resort is your idea of celebrating, keep in mind that winter goes on at home. Preparing your home for winter weather is the best way to ensure that you aren’t faced with costly and inconvenient repairs when you return.
Prevent Frozen Pipes
When water freezes, it expands. If your pipes are full of water when they freeze, they could burst, causing a flood in your home. The best way to prevent this is to keep the pipes from freezing.
If you will only be gone for a few days, the best way to prevent frozen pipes is to keep your thermostat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If the weather forecast calls for extremely cold temperatures, leave a faucet dripping to keep water flowing through your pipes, and leave the cabinets under each sink open. This will allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
If you plan to be away for longer than a few days, consider shutting off the water supply to your home.
Do not allow the severe winter weather to ruin the magic of the holidays.
Secure Your Home Against Storm Damage
Before you leave for your vacation, do some basic winter home maintenance: check all of your windows and doors to make sure they are sealed tightly. Winter storms can blow snow and rain into your home through small cracks, causing serious water damage. If you can feel drafts around the windows or doors, consider sealing them with a plastic window sealing kit, available at most home improvement stores.
Ask A Friend to Check In
Ask a trusted friend or neighbor to check on your home while you’re away, especially if winter storms are forecasted. Be sure to leave your itinerary and contact information, as well as the names and phone numbers of your homeowners’ insurance agent and your plumber.
Your snow-covered home will be warm and cozy when well protected from the storms.
What to do If Disaster Strikes While You’re on Vacation
If the worst happens, and your home sustains winter storm damage, flooding from burst pipes, or other damage, it is crucial to call a professional disaster recovery team immediately. The faster they can get started, the better their chances of minimizing the damage to your home. Most disaster restoration companies have a 24-hour emergency phone number and can be at your home within a few hours to assess the damage and begin cleanup.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
