How Homeowners Prepare for Early Winter Weather in Older Neighborhoods

Living in older neighborhoods has its charm. However, older neighborhoods also come with their own set of problems. Homes built decades ago have quirks, but under those quirks lies a ton of history. Winter can arrive quickly, and it's important for families in these neighborhoods to prepare for winter quickly in order to avoid things like electrical problems and draft problems.

Obtaining Knowledge About Winter Challenges of Older Communities

Older neighborhoods face a different type of older home challenges when winter weather arrives. Homes that have been around for a long time often have older electrical systems, little to no insulation in the walls, and antique windows that are not energy efficient. When the weather turns, homeowners quickly figure out how cold air enters their homes and how hard their heaters have to work. It also makes everyone sleepy and increases the amount of outdoor work that needs to be done before frost settles in.

Many families also like to get outside work done early in the colder weather to decorate for the holiday. Areas of homes are often scheduled for College Station christmas lights installation services before it gets cold to prevent electrical overload and reduce the chance of safety issues. With a little planning, winter work gets done before it's cold and that saves everyone a lot of work to do in a hurry when the weather gets colder.

Assessing and Upgrading Antique Electrical Panels

Old neighborhoods often have homes with old or undersized electrical panels. These panels were not designed to accommodate the number of appliances, heating, and holiday lights families use today. When a sudden cold wave hits early, electrical demand rises, and the risk of overloads or outages increases.  

How Electrical Panels of Older Homes Face a Challenge More Severe in the Winter

Old electrical panels are more likely to:

- not be able to accommodate the heating units being used  

- have old, worn-out breakers and/or loose wires

- be more susceptible to damage from moisture and sudden temperature changes  

Being proactive in winter helps families to avoid a lot of the complications of the winter. Homeowners are able to get their panels inspected in the late fall to check for loose connections, overloaded circuits, and old breakers, and be able to replace them before the heavy winter usage that will be happening in the winter. This helps to offset the risk of having their circuits trip during sudden cold snaps, and it helps to improve the safety in the home.  

Added Electrical Load from Holiday Decorations  

Mass lighting for the holidays can significantly add to the electrical load, especially in homes that like to heavily decorate for the holidays. While LED lights are better to use because of the more modern technology that helps to offset electrical usage and strain, homes also still need to have careful electrical planning in mind. Putting holiday lighting to a schedule early on in the holiday season helps to ensure that there are plenty of professionals available to make a lighting display that can safely be distributed across plenty of available circuits, and significantly reduce the chance of a heavily overloaded electrical panel.

How to Seal Drafty Windows to Retain Heat Inside Your Home

When winter starts to arrive, drafty windows show up in most homes. In older homes, windows still may have their original frames, single-pane glass, or loose sash fittings which allow cold air to pass through. Deficiencies in window frames, even in well-maintained homes, can lead to window inefficiency. 

Problems Homeowners Encounter Each Winter

Some factors contributing to window draft issues include:

- Gaps or slack between the window frame and walls

- Weathered and cracked caulking

- Windows that have loose or stiff events

- Single-pane glass that allows cold air to pass through

Being winter ready and addressing window draft issues in winter can improve comfort in the home and reduce energy costs. Weather stripping, caulking, and poly film insulation kits can be easy to install to help seal windows to conserve heat and reduce cold drafty air inflows. More advanced options include installing storm window frames and new energy efficient glass.

Problems Caused by Drafty Windows

Drafty windows cause furnaces to work harder which adds to energy costs and increases wear and tear on older equipment. By addressing the draft before the colder months, homeowners can help reduce the burden on their systems.

Finishing Up Outside Work Before the First Frost

After the first deep frost, working outside becomes even harder.  Older neighborhoods have large matured trees, older gutters, and older roof materials that need work before winter arrives. 

Cleaning Gutters and Looking At Rooflines

Older neighborhoods have large matured trees that drop a lot of leaves that can quickly clog gutters.  As winter approaches, frozen gutters can trap water and create ice dams that can damage shingles and promote leaking into the roof.  Homeowners in older neighborhoods often prioritize gutter cleaning well before the month of December to protect their roofs from extra stress. 

Roof shingles, flashing, and chimneys must also be checked.  These weaker spots can lead to a lot of problems in the future once the winter moisture gets in.  Many families take these checks especially in older neighborhoods when their roofs are older.

Getting Outdoor Plumbing Ready

In older neighborhoods many homes have little to no insulation on outside water lines. Before the first frost, homeowners are to: 

- Disconnect and drain hoses from gardens

- Wrap outside faucets

- Insulate pipes on the outside walls that can easily get frozen

These must be done before the first frost as if the water in these pipes freeze and it can burst.  This can lead to repairing pipes which is costly.

Preparing for Outdoor Holiday Lighting and Holiday Displays

Putting up Holiday lights is a tradition enjoyed by nearly every homeowner, but it is especially loved in older neighborhoods with a long-standing history of holiday decor. These neighborhoods take pride in the festive and happy charm of the community. But, the risk of early winter weather is always a possibility.

The Importance of Holiday Light Preparation

Having Christmas lights installed early in the season eliminates:

- Overheating older Christmas lights

- Risk of someone falling

- Prevent the holiday displays and lights from getting ruined

- Must be installed from the yard and above ground on a roof

- There are older neighborhoods and homes with broken decor

More and more communities are integrating hanging holiday lights and displays into their yearly winter preparation tasks.

The Safety of Older Homes

The exterior wiring of older homes and suburbs is exceptional and wildly inconsistent. Homes may have their original, outdated exterior outlets and covers that are not even weather-worth protective covers. The professionals are able to notice things such as:

- Outdated, missing GFCI outlets

- Outlets with no

- Distribution of power is not balanced

Advanced planning of holiday displays and decorations is very appreciated, especially in older neighborhoods, for the beauty and history.

Making Energy Efficient Upgrades to Your Home Insulation

In older houses, each community is different with how insulated they are, as each home may have different ages, renovations, etc. It is common for homes to not have sufficient insulation in their walls, attics, or crawl spaces. Homeowners feel the impacts as the winter season approaches.

Inspections of Attic and Wall Insulation

Improving insulation in older homes is especially helpful as families are more likely to schedule energy audits or insulation inspections in the weeks leading up to December. The benefits are as follows:

- Keeps houses warmer

- Saves you spending by lowering your heating bills

- Lowers the workload of older heating and cooling units (HVAC)

- Reduces the number of cold areas of the home, as well as walls and floors.

Also, just small renovations, like putting attic hatches insulation or adding door sweeps, help hold heat in homes.

Addressing Gaps in the Air

Homes naturally shift, especially older ones, and build gaps around their doors, foundations, and utility penetrations. Close these gaps to stop winter air from flooding into the home and lowering the temperature.

For Homeowners, Getting Ready For Winter Is A Must

Homeowners in established neighborhoods know getting ready for winter is a must. updating outdated electric panels, sealing drafty windows, completing outdoor maintenance, strategizing in advance for christmas lights, families winterize their homes and keep them safe from unnecessary hazards. Winterizing older homes in advance helps them stay warmer, safer, and more efficient at all times during the winter.