Get Your Home Ready for Winter

Winter is here, and that means it’s time to fortify your home against some of the season’s most common home hazards. During this time of year, your house is vulnerable to a variety of snowy weather damage. And, with the holiday season just a few weeks away, you want to ensure no surprises get in the way of your favorite family festivities. 

Luckily, there are plenty of simple ways to protect your home from freezing pipes, snowstorm damage,  package theft and more. Here’s how:

Prepare for Freezing Pipes

One common and potentially expensive winter mishap is freezing pipes. When pipes freeze, they can not only leave you without hot water, but they can potentially crack and burst, causing water damage and wreaking havoc in your home.

When temperatures drop to freezing (below 32 degrees Fahranheit), the likelihood of frozen pipes increases. Throughout the winter season, stay alert to dropping temperatures and consider following some basic mitigation measures such as:

• Shutting off the water to any external faucets

• Leaving indoor faucets slightly open so that they release a steady drip of water and allow constant water flow through your home’s pipes

• Remembering to turn on the heat, even when you leave your home for an extended period of time

• Installing a SimpliSafe’s smart Temperature Sensor to alert you when your home’s temperature drops below 41 degrees Fahrenheit

While temperature sensors are most commonly used to monitor for extreme temperatures that may negatively affect your home, they can also be used to ensure your home is kept at a safe temperature for your pets and plants.  It’s important to remember, especially during this reflective time of year, that home security not only protects your home but your loved ones too. 

Prepare for Falls

In addition to causing pipe damage, freezing temperatures can also bring about threats to your personal safety. Ice can increase the size of hairline cracks in your driveway into tripping hazards. Black ice around your front or back door can leave you, your family, and any home visitors vulnerable to slips and falls.

Throughout the winter season, take care to regularly salt highly trafficked areas of your driveway and outdoor pathways to prevent accidents from happening. It’s also worth considering installing an outdoor camera. SimpliSafe’s outdoor camera includes a two-way audio feature that allows monitoring agents to speak directly with the person in the camera’s view and call for help if the person requires medical assistance. 

Prepare for Storms

Depending on where you live, snowstorms, hailstorms, windstorms, blizzards, and freezing temperatures can be major causes of concern, especially when it comes to your home. For example, fallen trees and debris from severe storms can cause significant damage to your home’s exterior, and down power lines can leave you disconnected from emergency services during a time of need. 

With a SimpliSafe home security system, you can rest easy knowing that you will receive the help you need, even in the event of a power outage or when WiFi is down. SimpliSafe offers seamless protection with a backup, rechargeable battery that will remain powered for up to 24 hours, meaning your system will still be able to communicate with local emergency services. 

Prepare for Potential Break-ins

While many would assume that colder temperatures would deter burglars from targeting your home, the winter’s early sunsets give burglars more of an opportunity to break into your home without being seen. Plus, with so many people traveling for the winter holidays, many burglars see the colder months as the perfect time to find and break into unoccupied homes. 

A simple way to prevent your home from becoming a burglar’s target is to make it seem like someone is home. You can do this by keeping your garage doors closed and turning on the radio or a few interior lights each time you leave the home. For added security, it’s recommended to install a home security system and sign up for professional monitoring, so you will be alerted the moment an unexpected visitor enters your home. Get started building your system before the cold weather comes!