Whether you were born a local or call the Greater Kansas City area home, you know our weather is often unpredictable no matter the season. Fall is officially here, and all seasonal things are in full effect: Chiefs football, pumpkin spice everything, fall foliage, etc.
Although it’s only autumn, Old Man Winter will make a debut within the next few months. As previously mentioned, our weather in Overland Park, Lee’s Summit, Topeka, and surrounding cities is unpredictable, especially in autumn. Daytime highs can be anywhere from 50° to 20°, and overnight lows can be anywhere from 40° to single digits.
This change in weather means it’s time to prep your home for fall and winter so it can be warm and protected from extreme winter weather. Continue reading as we discuss how to prep your home for fall and winter so you can enjoy the seasons without having to worry about your home during severe fall and winter weather.
Prepare for Ice
With our unpredictable weather patterns and fluctuating temperatures, fall and winter rain can turn to ice and snow, causing slick walkways and driveways among other dangers. Our walkways and driveways are used daily whether our children walk to the bus stop, we drive to and from work, or make a quick trip to the mailbox to collect the mail. Front walkways, sidewalks, entryways, and patios see plenty of foot traffic and need to be safe surfaces for walking. Slick ice can cause slips and falls, possibly resulting in injuries to you and your loved ones.
Keep yourself and your family safe this fall and winter by applying a de-icing agent to all walkways, pathways, patios, and entryways. De-icing agents work best if applied before winter weather makes its arrival, so pay attention to the weather each week so you know when to apply it. When you do apply it, be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from the irritants and chemicals that are found in de-icing agents. Applying it will keep your driveway and walkways safer amid severe fall and winter weather.
Seal Windows & Doors
It’s not uncommon for the average home to have drafty windows and doors, especially if the house is older. Check for drafty windows and doors by carefully holding and moving a candle near them; if the flame flickers then you have a draft and outdoor air is entering your home. Outdoor air in the fall and winter can range from mild to freezing, so fix drafts before they become an issue. Not only can drafts make your home cooler but they also raise your energy bills since HVAC systems have to work in overdrive to regulate the warmer indoor temperature.
If you have any drafts around windows or doors, apply caulk to create a tight seal. You can also check for signs of cracks and gaps in existing caulk and apply new caulk to ensure air isn’t escaping or entering your home. Though it may not seem like much, fixing drafty windows and doors can make all the difference.
Clean Your Gutters
Ice can be very harmful to not only our safety but to our home’s exteriors. When fall and winter snow melts and refreezes, or when we experience an ice storm, ice can collect and build up inside of half-round gutter systems, causing a slew of issues. Any ice can and often does lead to ice dams, a very common and dangerous issue for homeowners during the winter months especially here in the Greater Kansas City area where snow and ice storms are likely each winter.
A great way to prep your gutters for fall and winter and to help reduce the chance of ice dams is to clean your half-round gutters. Removing debris like leaves, twigs, silt, and insects will help your gutter system perform optimally during fall and winter. Failure to clean your gutters before winter arrives could result in clogs that impede water flow, ultimately draining meltwater over the gutters and causing ice dams, gutter separation, and potentially roof damage.
Install the K-Guard System
All of the helpful tips above are great for prepping the home for fall and winter, however, they’re temporary fixes that need to be done often to be effective through the fall and winter months. Cleaning gutters is something you should do at least two times per year to protect your home from drainage issues and to help prevent ice dams. Luckily, there is a permanent solution to keeping your gutters free of debris year round – installing the K-Guard System.
Our gutter product is the only permanent solution to keeping gutters leaf-free and free of clogs thanks to our complete system that has several parts that work together to keep debris out while flushing water faster than any other gutter product on the market. The hood to our gutter system is curved to allow leaves and other debris to simply slide off and only allows water to enter the gutter through a narrow opening where only water adheres. During fall and winter weather, all precipitation can slide off rather than sit and collect, helping to prevent ice dams from forming and heavy snow from collecting.
Following the tips above will help keep your home protected during the fall and winter months. If you’re ready to install the K-Guard System on your home, contact our team today or call (913) 380-1616 to schedule your free estimate for installing the K-Guard System. We’ll examine your current gutter system and offer an assessment and our recommendations for installing the K-Guard System in your home. We offer our gutter installation service to homeowners across both Missouri and Kansas including, but not limited to, the following locations:
