5 min read

November 26, 2024

What you’re reading is a copy of an email newsletter sent by Stephen Simmons, Owner + Primary Mitigator at Umpire. This is an archive, so some links may be missing or expired.

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5 ways to prepare your home for winter

Winter prep now prevents major repairs later

It’s officially looking like fall in Virginia! 🍂

If you’re like me, you’ve already pulled out your favorite jacket, cleaned up your leaf-covered yard at least once, and maybe added a pumpkin or two to the front-porch decor:

A photo of a white house at dusk shows a large tree in the front yard and a few pumpkins on the front steps to celebrate fall. — *I added a few pumpkins to the front porch even before the leaves started falling this year...*

But in the middle of all the color-changing fun, don’t forget: now’s the perfect time to prepare your home for the colder weather.

(And I don’t just mean leaving the faucet dripping + opening the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink any time there’s an overnight freeze warning.)

Here are 5 easily forgotten ways to make sure your home is ready for the winter weather:

turn exterior hose bibs off inside during the fall and winter
insulate pipes and water heaters to guard against burst pipes
make sure your roof is in top shape - we don’t want any winter leaks!
clean leaves and debris from your gutters so water can drain properly
know where your main water shut-off valve is located so you can turn the water off if a pipe breaks

and of course, the one we all know: leave the faucet dripping on especially cold nights!

💡Try printing or screenshotting this list to keep it handy during the colder months!

Questions? Anything to add? Hit reply and let me know.

Stay warm,

Stephen

PS Exciting news - Umpire has officially launched our BRAND-NEW WEBSITE! 🎊 Take a look around and let me know what you think! 👀