Winter weather is coming our way, so now’s the time to prepare your home!
While the weather was slow in cooling off this year, it doesn’t mean we’ll have a mild winter. In fact, climate experts are predicting that California will be slammed by El Niño this year. While El Niño doesn’t always have a significant impact on Northern California, the climate models and natural phenomena point to us having one of the biggest El Niño’s in the history of our state.
Are you ready for the wet winter weather that’s most likely coming our way? Prepare your home today with these steps!
- Grab your ladder, set it on a firm foundation, and clean out your gutters and downspouts. If these crucial home features are clogged by leaves and other debris when heavy rains hit, you could have water spilling over to all the wrong places: down your walls, through your roof, and into your home’s foundation.
- Don’t wait to seal up doors and windows. Check that your weather stripping is in good shape, and replace it as needed. Also, perform the nickel test. If you can fit a nickel into the gap between a window/door and your home’s siding, the area needs be to re-caulked.
- As the weather cools off, you’re going to be relying on your furnace and chimney to keep your home cozy. Before you start to really need them, get a professional inspection for each. This has two benefits. First, it ensures you won’t have a furnace breakdown one on of the coldest days of the year, when you’ll be vying with countless others for service. Secondly, it helps prevent home fires.
Do you have the homeowners insurance and flood insurance you need to protect your home against the winter weather coming to California? To learn more about the policies you should have before El Niño hits, contact Lou Aggetta Insurance Services in Pleasant Hill.