It’s hot, hot, hot, so why should you think about planning for the winter? Summer is actually the best time to consider your home’s winter needs. While the weather is balmy, get yourself prepared for the season of winter storms. Here’s how you can get yourself ready for the snow and ice that are just around the corner.

Prepare Your Landscaping Plants

Think way back to last winter. How did your garden landscape fare during the snow, ice, wind, and rain? Winter can be very hard on plants. If you have trees that lost branches, make sure that you prune them and allow them to heal. If you have plants that suffered during the winter snow, ice, and salt from walkways and roadways, replace them or replant them in a more sheltered area. Take some time to make a garden plan for fall, and research how to cut back your beloved perennials before the winter to get them ready for the cool, dormant season.

Check Your Structure

While it’s still sunny and there’s not very much rain, take a look at your home and determine whether any work needs to be done. How is your roof? Does it have leaks that emerged last winter that need to be fixed? Is your roofing warped? Take a look at your siding and look for problems with algae, mold, peeling paint, or siding that is rotten or coming off the side of your building. Performing an annual maintenance check can help you discover problems that are simple to fix in the summer but could lead to leaks and other structural issues in the wet, snowy season.

Manage Your Drainage

Your drainage plays a key role in managing rainfall and snow melt during the fall, winter, and spring. Look at your gutters. Are they sagging or warped? This can lead to leaks or cascades of water from your drains down the side of your house. Are your gutters clogged, or do they clog easily? Consider how your gutters manage fall debris and winter snow and ice. Plan to cut back trees that overhang the gutters and install gutter guards or gutter heaters to prevent debris, snow, and ice from building up. Look at the drainage around your yard as well. If water pools in hollows near your foundation, how can you redirect it? Look for problem drainage areas and plan to capture that water or redirect it to where it’s required in your garden.

Make a Plan for Winter Maintenance

Even if you spend only a few hours on winter planning during the summer months, this can help you immensely once the winter comes. By proactively pruning trees and shrubs, making needed repairs, and planning for upcoming drainage issues, you can make your winter landscape maintenance much easier.

Are you doing your best to prepare your home for the coming storm season? When you’re thinking about whether to install gutters, contact Harry Helmet. Our Gutter Helmet and Gutter Heat products can help you manage home maintenance through the season of snow and ice. Contact us today for a quote.

Written by Del Thebaud