With many of the custom homes on Long Beach Island that we build, when the season is over and the weather turns cold, it’s time for homeowners to batten up the hatches and head south. So how does a homeowner “batten up the hatches” to ensure that the home is properly closed for the colder weather, without worry of the potential freezing disasters that can strike an unoccupied home during the cold winter months? Winter is coming: Stonehenge has three good reasons to winterize your home on LBI.
Reason #1…Homes are not meant to be cold
Homes are like people and need to be kept warm to a certain degree. Many people turn off their heat before they leave for the season, which is not what we recommend. By leaving the heat on and turning it down to 50° Fahrenheit you will be keeping the house warm enough to keep it from freezing should the temperature drop to below freezing for a period of time. Homes are not meant to freeze and keeping your heat on is critical so that it doesn’t sustain damage when the temperatures drop.
Reason #2…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 house design) which allows for drainage of both hot and cold water, which will help avoid a rupture if this scenario presents itself this winter.
Reason #3…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, causing damage and buckling of floors and walls. By keeping your heat set to 50° there is less of a chance that this type of damage will occur during the winter 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 Stonehenge Building & Development today for details on why we are the builder of choice on LBI.