Many of the custom homes we build on Long Beach Island are seasonal homes, so when the weather turns cold, many of our homeowners head south to wait out the winter months before returning to their LBI new construction for the summer. Before heading out for the season though, homeowners should winterize their custom home on LBI with these top 3 tips:
Homes are not meant to be cold
While people may want to turn their heat completely off before leaving their custom home on LBI, we recommend leaving the thermostat on 55 – 60° Fahrenheit to help protect your home. Leaving the heat on a minimum of 55=60° Fahrenheit can help prevent your home and pipes from freezing should the temperature drop below freezing for a period of time. Homes are not meant to freeze and keeping your heat on is critical to preventing damage to your home when the temperature drops.
Standing water can do immense damage when frozen
Another part of our recommended winterizing process is to drain all the waterlines to prevent ruptures should there be a power failure and the heat does go off for some reason. Every home that we build has drains installed on the lower level (depending on the design of the house) which allows for drainage of both hot and cold water, helping to avoid a rupture if this scenario presents itself during the winter months.
Sheetrock doesn’t like moisture
Not only does sheetrock not respond well to extreme cold, finishes like paint and hardwood flooring are not meant to be exposed to the cold. Your house has moisture in it naturally from the day-to-day things you do, like taking showers or washing dishes. The last thing you want to do is let this freeze during the winter, which can then cause buckled flooring or walls. By keeping your heat set to at least 50° Fahrenheit there isless of a chance that this type of damage will occur during the cold months.
If you have questions about how to winterize your home for the season, or you are considering building your new custom home on Long Beach Island, contact us or visit us at StonehengeBuilt.com today for details on why we are the builder of choice on LBI.