#4 Heat Tape Gutters and Downspouts
Few things are as destructive to a home as water. It can be a silent killer, getting into a foundation and walls, causing unspeakable damage before you ever even notice it’s happened. This is why keeping your gutters and downspouts cleaned out and ready for winter is so crucial.
Before the winter or any rainy season, clean out your gutters and downspouts of foliage and gunk. It’s also smart to direct them away from the foundation so runoff moves away from the house.
Then, prepare them for freezing temperatures. Install heat tape on your roof’s edge, gutters, and downspouts to prevent them from freezing. If that happens, when the water melts, it can overwhelm areas of your home where it drains.
Product description: Heat tape, despite the name, is not actually tape; it is a cable encased in a heating wire. It is flexible and works best in smaller areas, such as gutters. Heat tape produces a steady stream of heat at all times, reducing the chances of freezing. It can also be used on pipes.
5 Ways To Prepare Your Log Cabin For the Winter
Key Takeaways
- Inspect chinking before winter and repair cracks or gaps that could allow drafts and moisture into your log cabin.
- Clean exterior logs before applying finishes, and check shaded or damp areas for dirt, mold, mildew, and other buildup.
- Check insulation around attics, floors, and other common air-leak areas before temperatures drop.
- Clear gutters and downspouts, direct runoff away from the foundation, and prepare exposed areas for freezing weather.
- Inspect your heating system before winter, including furnaces, flues, and other components that may need service or cleaning.
- Your home is your haven, a place to retreat and relax. A log cabin, when properly built and warmed, is an especially cozy sanctuary. One of the most charming aspects of a log cabin is the natural elements. But those pieces move, letting in cold air and pulling warm air out.
- Prepare your cabin with these five products and tips.
