There is no point in choosing a particular type of
landscaping design, only to see it swept away by a horrible storm of wind or
another problem. When making landscaping plans, keeping the weather in mind can
help you avoid a lot of wasted money and frustration over the long haul. Your
home goes up against the roughest weather each winter. The elements certainly
put your home through the wringer, from constant snow to crashing hailstorms to
ever-lingering frost.
First, let’s make sure all of our shutters are
fastened firmly to the structure. Severe damage to the shutters and siding may
occur if these are not correctly fixed. Next, go out for a walk around your
property and check your gutters. Make sure none of the spikes in the drain have
backed out. Also, make sure your channels are clear of litter, and the free
flow of water. Due to leaves and other debris, overrunning gutters may damage
not only the gutters themselves but also create problems with moisture. They could
also lead to flooding in the basement. Check your extensions to the splash pads
or channels. Occasionally these tend to drift out of place and should be
positioned to help move water away from your foundation.
The hardware should be inspected at all exterior
doors. Making sure the weather stripping around your doors has not deteriorated
is a good idea. Wind and rain can exploit gaps which damage your door sills,
sub-floors and floors. Windows should be checked for lost or deteriorated
caulk. This is a year-round money-saver. But, water can be blown into window
gaps during high wind rainstorms and create expensive repair bills.
All overgrown trees, in particular, any branches
that overhang your home and where you park your car should be trimmed back. If
you have overhead electrical service to your home or any outbuildings, make
sure there is plenty of clearance, and the trees are trimmed back. Even a mild
storm may not only have cut down on power but also create a hazardous
situation. Furthermore, create a minimum gap of 12 inches between your shrubs
and home and your AC equipment. This will ensure that the storm does not turn
your shrubbery into a weapon to pummel your siding and AC Louvers. Taking some
time to get your home ready for a storm can make a big difference. Not only
does it save you some money, but it also makes you and your family safer.
Don’t Endanger Your House With Landscaping
Sure, the idea of putting that large tree next to
the bay window of your living room might sound appealing-and may look fantastic
on paper but the reality maybe a little more worrisome when you consider what
might happen when a significant wind storm occurs. A severe storm can uproot
the tree and cause the window to collapse. Because of the crazy weather in
Brisbane, placing large trees directly next to a house is simply not smart;
keep them far away and plant shrubs near the house. For this reason, it is wise
to get the right advice from an experienced and knowledgeable landscaping firm.
Avoid Creating A Flood-Friendly Environment
Methods. The way you design slopes and retaining
walls near your home, as well as the materials you use, is a big one to look
out for. It’s all too easy for massive amounts of rainfall to cause flooding,
with all the wild storms that happen in the region. An experienced landscaping
contractor will know the advantages and pitfalls of using different types of
landscapes.
Use Plants That Can Withstand The Elements
Regardless of how stunningly attractive any given
plant or flower maybe, think again if it is too fragile to handle the
occasional hail and other extreme weather that sometimes pelts Brisbane. Surely
it would be a shame to invest a lot of money in a magnificent shrub or plant,
just to have it demolished by the next big storm that rolls through. On the
other hand, due to our dry weather conditions, it would be a great shame to
lose your plants too. An experienced garden designer can help you select hardy
plants that can stand unpredictable weather conditions. Your new landscaping will
ultimately be attractive and will last a long time and will eventually be an
even better long-term investment.
Below is the summary/break down of how to create a
garden that can withstand the storm.
For Your Indoor Spaces
Adequately wintering the interior of your home for
the cold weather is essential, because you would most of the time be indoors.
Here are a few crucial steps to keep warm and protect yourself. A few fast
fixes around the home could alleviate many energy inefficiencies and reduce your
monthly expenses during winter and beyond.
Insulation: Check
your attic, basement, and garage for insulation. According to research,
isolation improvements alone can reduce your heating bills by 20%.
Pipes: Make
sure all pipes that pass through these unheated spots are adequately insulated.
Ideally, they should first be wrapped in electrical heating tape and then foam
insulation. Bursting of freezing pipes is far more common than it should be,
and it can lead to some seriously expensive repairs.
Ceiling: Check
for ceiling leaks and repair or replace any defective or missing shingles
Heating: Examine
your furnaces, thermostats, heating vents, oil tanks, wood stoves, and water
heaters. Be sure that they are in good working condition and clean. Buy a space
heater to keep on hand for those extra chilly days as a good backup.
Filters: Replace
dirty filters every month or two in your Furnace and HVAC system. Dirty filters
can lead to a fire, at times. And if you are using a propane furnace or an
oil-powered furnace, be sure to refuel it.
Vents: Keep
your vent free of obstacles to permit free airflow.
Smoke Detectors: Using
proper detectors, check for smoke and carbon monoxide leaks, and replace old
batteries too.
Fireplace/Chimney:
Examine the open mortar joints on fire brick in the fireplace. Have them
repaired immediately if you see any, to prevent the possibility of a fire
breaking out.
Weather Stripping:
Check weather stripping around the doors and windows on all sides. If some are
cracking or missing, apply new or supplementary weather stripping. For this,
you can also use rope caulk by merely pressing it into the areas where air
leakage has occurred. Air leaks will cause the outside cold air to enter and
allow your warm air to escape, thereby compromising the efficiency of your home
by up to 30%. So avoiding them is crucial.
Fans: Please
make sure your fans spin in the right direction. The ceiling fans run counter
clockwise during the summer, creating cool breezes. Turning blades in reverse
displace hot air as it travels up to the ceiling, sending that hot air back
into the room making the room more comfortable for those close and reducing
heating bills by up to 10 per cent. So go smarter and save!
Water Heater: While
most water heaters are set to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the performance can
operate at 120 degrees without any perceptible change. It will take just a few
minutes to step down into your basement or the maintenance closet to adjust
your furnace, but the positive impacts will last until next spring. Covering
your water heater in a unique insulating wrap will also make it work better.
For Your Outdoor Spaces
The main brunt of the winter weather will be taken
from outside of your home. So make sure that you give it the TLC it needs to
spring through. Many of these are simple, affordable DIY projects that you can
often complete in less than an hour.
Windows: Not only
are double-pane windows safer, but they ‘re also really good at insulating your
home. The double layer of glass between you and the outside world is filled
with argon gas which will significantly assist with your windows’ insulation
properties. You could also have the UV coating on your windows, which lowers
the chance of fading for any artwork and furniture inside your home. You could
also have ones with safety film on, which keeps them from shattering into
pieces in case of impact.
Roof: Check
your roof for cracks or other openings. Make sure you replace any missing
shingles and install weather stripping on the opening(s) of the roof to avoid
melted snow from entering your home.
Pipes: Turn off
the water supply to all the outside faucets and drain excess water from
plumbing lines, underground sprinklers, garden hoses and pipelines by opening
the outdoor valve. Doing so should prevent the pipes from been frozen or burst.
Gutters: The
gutters and spouts are to be free of leaves, grime, and other debris. In
winter, the deposits of wet leaves in the channels add significant weight and
volume to them, which increases the risk of damage. Clean the gutters even to
reduce the possibility of ice dams.
Chimney/Fireplace:
Make sure the flue and draft of the chimney are functioning properly and
thoroughly. It needs to open and close easily and securely, and then draw up
the smoke too. Besides that, keep the chimney clean of nests of birds, rats and
other animals waste.
Patio Furniture: Keep
your patio furniture covered and protected, as you won’t be using it much in
the winter.
Deck: Apply an
extra coat of sealer to your deck so that it is not warped by sitting winter
water.
Pool and Fountain:
Drain your water and pool fountains, and also unplug your pumps.
Doors and Shutters:
fix or repair any loose shutters or doors to minimize potential wind damage.
And be sure also to apply weather-stripping.
Walkways and Driveways: Spread
anti-slip gravel throughout your passageways and driveways. This will help
avoid slides, skids, and drops as the snow descends. Also, when the next
snowstorm strikes make sure you have shovels and rock salt.
How to Win the Winter Weather War:
Prevention
There are thousands of things that could go wrong
with your winter home, and the most popular ones have been discussed. Before
some people fix a problem affecting their homes, they wait until something goes
wrong, and this almost always ends up costing them much more money. It is good
to remember that preventing its occurrence is far cheaper than fixing after
much damage.
So if you can take care of possible home problems
before something gets damaged and take the time to winter your home, then your
wise prevention will save you a lot of trouble and keep you from having huge
bills to pay. Remember, the castle is your home, and it’s clever to start
treating it as such. So make the smarter move and devote the time it takes to
prepare your home properly for whatever problem winter weather might come along
with because it is always smarter to get prepared than to be left out in the
cold.