January advice for your home
Now that it’s January — and it’s cold everywhere (some places more brutally cold than others) — I decided that the best January advice I could give should focus on three elements:
- keeping the water pipes in good order
- maintaining suitable warmth conditions even if you lose power for a short while
- convincing warm-seeking pests to go elsewhere.
Today in Nashville, the high is expected to be 40 degrees. But the weatherman announces that tomorrow, we should expect the temperature to drop some 50 degrees — to a high of -5 or so. Brrrrrrr in advance. But that weatherman’s prediction inspired me to share this advice.
First, water. Your water pipes, both inside and outside, will freeze with extended periods of below 32. And as we all know, when water turns to ice, its space expands and you could end up with busted, leaking pipes which do an enormous amount of damage. In fact, even a 1/8″ crack in a pipe can leak 250 gallons a day! So if you haven’t already insulated your pipes, locate your water shut-off valve and learn how to turn off the water to your home! The most vulnerable pipes will be those in kitchens and bathrooms that are on outside walls and uninsulated water pipes in your attic, garage, basement, or crawlspace. Keep your kitchen/bathroom cabinet doors open to gain warmth from inside the home. And it does work to leave a pencil-thin stream of water dripping.
I hope you do not have to deal with a power interruption. But if your area gets an ice storm, you could possibly face several hours, even days, without electricity. If you do not have alternate sources of heat (such as a generator, a fireplace or wood stove, a kerosene heater, or even an oil lamp), heed this advice. First, focus on maintaining heat in one room (generally, your bedroom: make a “camping” game out of it with your children. Actually, if you have tents, erect them not only as part of the game but also because they retain warmth due to their minimal size (just like igloos!). Put clear shower curtains over the windows: that way, some warming natural light can still filter in. And bundle up: put on several layers of clothing, a hat, a couple of pairs of socks. Place extra throw rugs and towels on the floor to keep your feet from getting cold. Finally, eat foods with a little “staying power” even if you don’t have electricity, such as granola bars, bananas, almonds, peanut butter sandwiches.
If you’re cold, the outdoor creatures like mice are also looking for a warm place to hang out. Yes, put out a few traps, but the main advice is to do a thorough examination of how they got into your house in the first place. Put that on your project list after the weather turns reasonable again.