How to Winterize Your Northern Nevada Home Before the First Freeze

Northern Nevada winters do not give much warning. One cold, clear night after a mild day can drop well below freezing, and a home that is not ready can pay for it with a burst pipe, a failed furnace or a roof leak. An hour or two of prep in the fall is cheap insurance.

Here is the checklist we would work through on our own home before the first hard freeze.

Outside the house

• Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached can trap water in the spigot and the pipe behind it, and that is where freeze damage often starts. Drain the hoses and store them.

• Shut off and drain exterior faucets where your home has a separate shutoff valve for them. Ask us to point out the shutoff during your inspection if you are not sure where it is.

• Drain or blow out the irrigation system. Sprinkler lines and backflow devices are easy to crack. Many homeowners hire this out, and it is usually quick.

• Clear gutters and downspouts so melting snow has somewhere to go. Make sure downspouts carry water away from the foundation.

• Look at the roof from the ground. Missing or lifted shingles, damaged flashing and gaps around vents are worth a closer look before snow arrives.

Inside the house

• Know where your main water shutoff is, and that it turns. If a pipe ever bursts, seconds matter.

• Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, garages, attics and exterior walls. Foam pipe sleeves are inexpensive and easy to install.

• Replace the furnace filter and consider having the furnace serviced by a licensed HVAC professional before you rely on it every day.

• Check weatherstripping and caulk around doors and windows. Drafts waste heat and can freeze nearby plumbing.

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Heating season is when they matter most.

If you plan to be away

Leave the heat on, set it no lower than a reasonable minimum, and have someone check the house. A vacant house in a cold snap is where a small plumbing problem turns into a big one.

Buying a home in the winter?

A winter inspection is just as thorough, with one caveat. Snow on the roof or ground can limit what can be seen, and some systems, such as air conditioning, cannot be tested when it is cold out. We note those limits in the report so nothing is hidden.

Home Inspection Associates is veteran-owned and has served Northern Nevada since 2007, with more than 9,000 inspections. We serve Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Fernley, Fallon, Dayton, Silver Springs, Yerington and nearby areas.

Want a second set of eyes on your home before winter? Visit nvinspectors.com to get in touch.