How to Get Rid of the Most Common Winter Leaks

A beautiful older home, covered in snow. The snow covers everything around it, including evergreen pines behind the home. A red chimney pops out in the sea of white.

How to Get Rid of the Most Common Winter Leaks

It’s that time of year and the cold weather has arrived. Your home is a safe haven that is designed to protect you from external factors.

In winter, it should keep you warm and dry, regardless of the weather outside. However, more and more homeowners struggle with winter leaks. These threaten the safety of their houses.

Contrary to common belief, leaks can affect a variety of properties, regardless of their age.

However, you can take preventive measures to preserve your household from cold and costly leaks.

1. Protect Your Exterior Wall

While curb appeal may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your exterior, you also need to consider your weatherproofing measures.

Inadequate insulation systems may not keep your home dry in winter. However, you can protect your exterior walls with siding solutions like Lifetime Exteriors systems.

They are durable and eco-friendly.

Siding is a smart add-on that not only boosts your curb appeal but also protects your structure from weather damage.

It’s a great idea if you’re looking to update your home’s look while protecting it from the elements too.

2. Check Those Leaky Water Taps

Taps and sink pipes are the first things a professional plumber checks to find the source of a leak in the kitchen or the bathroom.

Winter leaks are, more often than not, the result of misuse and unnecessary pressures on your plumbing system.

It can be as simple as your kids resting their weight on the tap as they stand on tiptoes to turn it on and off.

Also, DIY plumbing jobs can be a culprit. If you’ve decided to upgrade your bathroom or kitchen on a budget, it can also affect your plumbing and increase the risk of leaks.

The best and most simple way to avoid issues is to plan any renovation or remodelling work with a pro. They can not only advise you on the most popular trends but also on the safest plumbing modifications.

If you follow any of my tips, it’s always best to leave it to the pros.

3. Find Out Where the Rain Water Goes

When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? Your gutters are probably at the bottom of your list of home maintenance chores.

However, it is essential to keep your house dry.

When the gutters get clogged up by dried leaves or dirt, the rainwater can’t evacuate safely. Therefore, it builds up in the gutters where it can overflow and drip along the exterior wall.

In the long term, the water can infiltrate through the wall.

This can lead to a larger problem that could have been avoided with some maintenance.

4. Protect Your Pipes Against Freezing Temps

External pipes and basement pipes are likely to struggle in extreme temperatures if you don’t protect them.

When the temperatures are freezing, the water inside the pipes can become solid.

As a result, the frozen water expands, forcing the pipe to crack. You might not notice it immediately. Though as soon as the weather becomes warmer, your pipes might develop significant leakage.

5. Don’t Forget Open Windows

Why should you leave the window open in winter? You’d be surprised to know that most households keep a few small windows half-opened throughout the year to encourage ventilation.

Unfortunately, these windows can also let the rainwater in.

Make sure to check your windows regularly. Personally, I don’t ever do this and will open them periodically and then close them the same day.

Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.

How to Get Rid of the Most Common Winter Leaks