It’s hard to think about frosty temperatures and falling snow in the summer, but taking time to prepare for winter conditions can save you time and money down the road. Here are three things you can do to make sure your building is ready for that freezing weather.

Get Your Roof Ready

Hire a roofing company or go up yourself and inspect the condition of your roof. Check for holes and loose shingles and see if any flashing around intersections or corners is loose. If you’re in an area with heavy snowfall, think about getting a predictive monitoring system that can let you know if the snow is putting too much pressure on your roof.

Protect Outside Faucets

You can install freeze-proof faucets and hose bibs to keep supply pipes from bursting in cold temperatures. Have a qualified contractor service your irrigation system and install insulation on backflow preventers and aboveground pipes. Show all your employees where the water shut off valves are in case they need to turn the water off in an emergency.

Smooth Out Sidewalks

Seal cracks in walkways to prevent water from seeping into the concrete. If water gets into concrete and freezes, it expands, creating holes and cracks. Excess water can also settle below the pavement, soften the ground and cause potholes. Stock up on ice melt to keep surfaces clear. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are two of the best ice melts for concrete surfaces.

If you have equipment that relies on electricity, such as refrigerators, have a backup generator available. You’ll also want to keep your employees and customers safe. FEMA suggests every business have an emergency supply kit stocked with items such as food, water, a first aid kit and flashlights. For the latest storm information, NOAA’s National Weather Service has eight forecast tools to keep you informed on the changing winter weather.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 at 8:53 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.