Preparation and Damage Prevention tips

• Insulate walls and attic.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows to reduce wind drafts.
• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic film from the inside.
• Detach all gardening hoses and shut-off water supply to outside faucets.
• Install faucet covers to all external faucets.
• Tag the location of your main water valve and make sure you can easily turn it on and off.
• Follow ice dam prevention tips to minimize ice dam formation on your roof.
• To help minimize ice dam formation on your roof :
• Keep gutters and downspouts clear of leaves and natural debris.
• Identify areas of heat loss in your attic and then properly insulate those areas.
• Wrap or insulate heating ductwork in order to reduce heat loss through the attic.
• Use a snow rake or soft broom to clear fresh snowfall from gutters.
• Avoid using any sharp tools or ice picks on gutters or downspouts.

• or work on a ladder beneath a roof that has large amounts of snow on it.
• If you have a thermostat that uses a battery, be sure to replace it regularly.
• Follow precautionary steps to safeguard against your water pipes freezing.
• Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing 
• Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
• Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time.
• Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
• Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.)
• Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
• Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
• Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.

• Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
• If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.
• Monitor Freezing Pipe Conditions 
• Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
• The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet.
• Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
• Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces.
• These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
• Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes.
• If a Pipe Freezes
• If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.)
• To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.

• When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.
• If a Pipe Bursts
• Shut off water at the main valve.
• If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
• Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.
• Follow home winter safety tips to protect yourself and others on your property.
• Keeping your home and property safe is a priority year round. However, winter weather brings on additional safety hazards that, if neglected, can be dangerous. Learn tips to keep you and your home safe during the winter season.
• Preparation tips 
• Wash spray equipment, such as a hose or sprinkler, and put it away for the season.
• Keep the furnace and flue in good condition.
• Make sure combustible material such as spray cans or paint are not near a heater or any source of heat.
• Ensure proper ventilation for the heating system(s).

• Change furnace filters regularly. If there is a blower, have it cleaned and oiled.
• Have fireplace inspected for loose mortar.
• Be sure a screen covers the fireplace opening in your home.
• Drain the swimming pool and cover it. Put chemicals away in a safe place where children can't reach them. Lock all outside entrances to the pool.
• Disconnect all pool electrical equipment.
• Use lighting outside that is designed for outdoor use, including weatherproof cords, plugs, sockets and connections.
• Provide ample light outdoors from the street and driveway to the entrance and interior of the home to illuminate snow and ice patches.
• Keep all sidewalks and entrances to your home free from ice and snow.
• Ensure hand railings and steps are in good shape.

• break and potentially damage your property or injure someone.
• Keep garage doors closed to help eliminate drafts in the attached house.
• During power failures, disconnect your electrical appliances to avoid damage from power surges, which can occur once the power is restored.
• Remove snow build-up on your roof to avoid ice and snow damage to the roof or interior of the home.
• Be prepared for winter with additional cold weather facts.
• As you’re headed out the door this winter remember preparing for cold weather can help make a difference.
• Winter Storm Watch
  When severe winter weather threatens your area, a Winter Storm Watch is generally given. If you plan to be outdoors for a long time period or plan to travel, be sure to keep an eye out for changing weather conditions.
• Winter Storm Warning
  A Winter Storm Warning means that severe winter weather conditions have been spotted and are on the way to your area. Travel plans should be minimized if possible. 

• recommended during a Blizzard Warning, you should remain indoors.
• Wind Chill
  Wind can pose a hazard to you and your skin during winter season. Wind Chill Equivalent Index is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when temperature and wind speed are combined.  When winds combine with freezing temperatures the result is an air temperature that can feel about 35 degrees colder. 
• Frostbite and Hypothermia
  A loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in fingers, toes, nose or ear lobes are symptoms of frostbite. Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness and exhaustion are symptoms of hypothermia. If you suspect frostbite or hypothermia, you should: 
• Begin warming the person slowly and seek immediate medical assistance.
• Warm the person's upper body first. Arms and legs should be warmed last because stimulation of the limbs can drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure.

• body. Alcohol can slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body temperatures.

All rights reserved. This article includes copyrighted material of "Safety Sense in the Home" written by Heward Grafftey and Richard A. McInenly, Ph.D, and copyrighted 1990, Safety Sense Enterprises, Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with their permission.