Winter Apartment Safety Top Tips

Few homeowners consider Winter apartment safety issues in the Summer, but perhaps that is the best time to plan ahead and get ready for the cold weather. In this article we offer some top tips to help protect your home while you’re away in the Winter, and how to keep your property safe. Read on to learn more.

Winter Apartment Safety: Tips to Protect Your Home While You’re Away

Winter apartment safety makes housesitting comfortable

Housesitters can play a crucial role in your Winter apartment safety plans

Photo credit – Mikhail Nilov

Are you planning to go on holiday during the Winter season? Then you need to be mindful of the safety of your apartment while you are away. Winter brings snow, ice, and bitter cold. It can turn your cozy apartment into a risky spot while you are away. You never expect to deal with burst pipes, failed heaters, or any other issues while you are away. Read these tips as we will help you ensure the safety of your apartment while you are away in winter.

Preparing Your Apartment for Cold Weather

Do you wonder how you can prepare your apartment for cold weather? Here are some useful tips that you can follow to ensure Winter apartment safety.

Start outdoors

You need to start Winter weather preparation outdoors; while you may imagine that your Winter apartment safety prep focuses solely indoors, actually its best to start outside. For example, you should shovel snow from stairs and walks right after storms. You also need to pile snow away from doors. This will ensure that no ice is left behind and that escape paths are not blocked. You may also sprinkle salt or sand on the steps, and keep a supply of salt near the entrance in case you have housesitters staying and they need to manage the access.

Next, you can trim low branches located near your windows. Wind will snap them in gusts and can smash glass in your apartment. You will also need to inspect your balconies for rust.

Seal your home

The next step in Winter apartment safety would be to seal your home. You can hunt drafts around doors and frames of your home. It is also possible to stick weatherstripping there. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on them. The cheap rolls that you can find in the stores will work great.

Additionally, you should spend some time caulking window cracks. You can ensure that cold air can’t sneak into your home, and it will provide peace of mind.

Another way to seal your home is to hang heavy curtains over the glass. They will block chills at night. Before leaving, you need to test every lock on the doors and sliders of your home. Thieves always tend to test weak spots and break into your apartment. And once again if you have housesitters staying make sure you run through all the access points with them to ensure they too are familiar with your home’s quirks and potential entry points.

Test the detectors inside your home

After you come in to focus on the interiors for Winter apartment safety, you can check the detectors inside. The smoke alarms will make loud beeps during tests. If they don’t work or have old batteries, you should replace them with new ones. Carbon monoxide units can provide protection against heater leaks, and you need to place them high on the walls.

You should also unplug irons, toasters, and chargers before leaving home. If you have sitters staying make sure they know where the fuse box is and what to do should the electricity short in a storm or power cut. Storms that can take place during Winter, and they can easily surge power. It may fry codes, so you shouldn’t let that happen. You will also need to thoroughly clean the dryer vents, because lint build-up will increase the first risk during cold weather.

Find a Housesitter Who Can Stay

Many homeowners want to find housesitters to care for their home, especially if they are planning to be absent for a long period. Housesitters are a huge help when it comes to Winter apartment safety and care. It means you have a human being present to care for things and manage the situation in the unlikely event of burst pipes or storm damage. It’s particularly helpful and economical if you have pets too.

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Ask a friend for regular inspections

If you have a trusted person, ask them to visit your apartment at least once a week. Then they can spot leaks or smoke. You may also ask your friend to water plants or feed fish. Piles tend to convey the message that there is no one at home. Hence, you should ask your friend to plough them away. You should also be careful not to post anything online about your trips.

What Temp to Leave Your Apartment When Away in Winter

young couple outside a building in winter

You need to check outside around the building as part of your Winter apartment safety checks

Photo credit – Alexy Almond

Understanding which temperature to set your apartment to when away in winter helps protect both the plumbing and heating systems. You need to keep the heater on and set it at 55 degrees Fahrenheit at least. Pipes tend to stay liquid above that. Hence, there is no need to worry about bursts. However, walls chill quickly, and ice tends to form inside at temperatures below 50 degrees.

Getting a smart thermostat is one of the best decisions that you can make. Then you can monitor and control the temperature inside your apartment while you are away. If there is a temperature drop below safe levels, you can get alerts.

If you are going on a short trip, you can set the temperature to 60 degrees. But if you are going on long vacations, you need to keep at a steady 55 because cold snaps can strike quickly. Make sure you don’t turn off the heat at any point. Even mild winters can dip temperatures suddenly and cause significant damage.

Preventing Frozen Pipes and Other Winter Hazards

Pipes hate cold walls and cabinets. This is why you need to open doors under sinks and let room heat flow in. If there are exposed lines in foam tubes, you need to wrap them. There are cheap kits available online to help you with that. Your property manager can also help you with this. Hiring professional Atlanta property managers can save property owners time by managing tenant screening, rent collection, and maintenance requests.

Sometimes the heaters can stop working, causing trouble. This is why you need to clear around the base of your heater. Make sure that there are no pillows, trees, or touching drapes. You need to plug the heaters directly into the wall, instead of using extensions. Cleaning the filters once a year can help you block fires. It is better not to use any spot heaters. They should be used only at flat spots if no other option is available.

Frosting windows can lead to leaks, and this is why you need to caulk edges. If there are ice dams forming on the roof, you will not be able to do much. This is where you can inform management. Salt can help with melting ice daily. Your apartment and property managers will be able to handle it.

Final Thoughts on How to Ensure Winter Apartment Safety

You need to be extra careful before leaving your apartment for the holidays during Winter time. Apartments face numerous risks, such as freezes, fires, and of course theft during the holidays. Following these steps can shield your space while you are away and plan for Winter apartment safety. Hence, make sure that you pay attention to every single step and take action before leaving.