Michigan winters are only getting colder – and with the chilly weather well on its way, check out these five ways to keep your home safe this winter.

5 Cold-Weather Home Safety Tips for Michiganders

Michigan isn’t the only state that gets a fair share of frigid temperatures, but thanks to the Great Lakes, we have a unique weather pattern here – and that means you should follow these five tips to keep your home safe during winter:

  1. Heat your house to at least 65 degrees
  2. Let your faucets drip
  3. Perform regular fireplace and wood stove maintenance
  4. Check the main water shutoff in your home
  5. Keep your fireplace flue closed when not in use

Here’s a closer look at each. 

Tip #1 to Keep Your Home Safe This Winter: Heat your house to at least 65 degrees

Heating your house to at least 65 degrees can help keep your walls warm enough to prevent frozen pipes. Anything lower than that and you risk the area between your inner and outer walls becoming too cold. 

Pro Tip: Keep your kitchen and bathroom cabinets open during extreme cold weather – cabinets on outside walls can get really cold, which can lead to frozen and burst pipes.

Tip #2 to Keep Your Home Safe This Winter: Let your faucets drip

Keep your faucets – both hot and cold – open so that they drip. Keeping the water moving in the pipes will help prevent them from freezing.

Tip #3 to Keep Your Home Safe This Winter: Perform regular fireplace and wood stove maintenance

Check your fireplace before, during and after winter to make sure it’s working properly. The same is true for your wood stove. Also, make sure you don’t have any combustible items nearby – and always watch them closely when you’re using them.

Tip #4 to Keep Your Home Safe This Winter: Check the main water shutoff in your home

Make it a point to check the main water shutoff valve in your home. Turn it off to make sure it’s working properly (but don’t forget to turn it back on) well before winter hits. That way, if you need to use it this winter, you’ll know exactly what to do – and you can use it with confidence.

Tip #5 to Keep Your Home Safe This Winter: Keep your fireplace flue closed when not in use

Close your fireplace flue when you’re not using it – but make sure it’s fully open when you are. Keeping it partially closed during use won’t generate more heat; it’ll only result in smoke coming into your home. You should keep the damper open until all the embers from your fire are out.

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