Gutters play a significant role in your home’s protection against water damage. They deliver precipitation that lands on your roof to the downspouts, where it is channeled a safe distance away from your property. With the help of an experienced gutter contractor, you can ensure your gutters remain efficient and in good shape all winter long. Once your gutter system has been compromised, you may face problems with your roof, gutters, siding, windows, basement, foundation and landscaping.
If you know that your gutters are in good condition, you won’t have to worry about them as much in the winter. Keep reading to discover better ways to spend the colder months than worrying about gutter damage.
Fun Activities to Try This Winter
Snowboarding
Even younger individuals can participate in snowboarding. Teens and tweens have the strength and capability to stay upright and attempt more tricks, making the activity popular among those age groups. Before you and your kids get on the board, make sure to wear proper safety gear like helmets, knee pads, hip pads and wrist guards.
Skiing
One more fun activity you can enjoy in the snow is skiing, a family favorite during the colder months. Sometimes, you’ll see children as young as two doing this activity. However, the ideal age to start skiing is around five, when their coordination skills are better and they are not as scared of falling. Always be sure to supervise your child when skiing. You can improve their skiing abilities by enrolling them in ski lessons. Like snowboarding, wearing safety gear is essential to this activity.
Ice Skating
While ice skating is quite tricky at first, you will find it fun once you get the hang of it. You can teach your kids how to skate when they reach the age of four or five or enroll them in lessons. Children usually wear figure skates or hockey skates when starting. When they get better at it, they can try different sports like ice dancing, figure skating, speed skating or hockey. It’s a good idea to have newbies wear a helmet and give them a hand to help with their balance.
Making Snow Angels
All you need to make snow angels are a bed of snow and a snowsuit. Your kids will surely love to create angelic figures in fluffy snow. To make this activity more fun, bring creative materials for decorating your snow angels. For instance, you can use food coloring to create a face or even dress them up with some clothes. If you want, you can also make it a contest of who creates the most beautiful angel.
Build a Snowman
One more way to encourage your kids to get creative is to build a snowman. People of all ages find this activity fun and exciting. Snowmen are common sights during the holiday season. Building one doesn’t have to cost you anything. Simply pile up large snowballs to create the body and head and use items around your home to make the face, like old clothes, pots, fruits, and vegetables.
Create an Igloo
When you know that your gutters and the rest of your home are ready for the colder months, you worry less and are free to focus more on doing things that you and your family can enjoy like building an igloo. You can ease your worries even more with an efficient gutter protection system. It will keep debris from entering your gutters, ensuring rain and melted snow drain efficiently from your roof and away from your home. Building an igloo or snow fort is a wonderful activity for older children to try. They can use a shovel to gather snow or simply their hands to construct their very own fortress.
Snowball Fight
Once you’ve built your fortresses, it’s now time to start a snowball fight! This is a game that everyone in the family can participate in and enjoy. You can avoid injuries by making sure the snow is not too icy. On extremely cold days, it can be hard to create snowballs. You can lie down on the snow for a few moments to heat it so it’s easier to form into balls.
Cozy Up With Some Hot Chocolate
Drinking hot chocolate is one of the coziest and tastiest winter activities. You can enjoy your sweet treat while bundled up on your couch in front of a fire. Turn on some holiday films with your friends or loved ones as you indulge in your warm cup of goodness. If you haven’t had the time to watch that television series everyone is talking about, now would be the ideal time to do it.
Read a Good Book by the Fire
Reading is even more fun and relaxing when done in front of the fireplace. You can go traditional by grabbing a paperback copy or go digital with an e-book. Either way, reading is always a great way to spend your free time. It exercises your brain, increases your vocabulary, helps with depression and even encourages better sleep.
Go Indoor Camping
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean that you can’t go camping with your family. Wouldn’t it be fun for everyone to build tents in the living room with blankets and pillows? Grab some snacks, plan some exciting games or even watch classic family movies.
Easy Ways to Keep Your Gutters in Good Shape This Winter
Keep Gutters Clean
Try not to let debris clog your gutters. Dried leaves, branches, seeds and other debris can clog your gutters. They can also encourage standing water that can attract small animals, insects and other pests. Keeping your gutters clean means protecting your home from water damage and also the health of your household. To save yourself from constant gutter maintenance, consider investing in high-quality gutter covers.
Address Gutter Issues Immediately
As with any part of your home, prompt action towards damage can help with the longevity and efficiency of your gutter system. If your gutters have issues, make sure to deal with them immediately. Keep in mind that delaying repairs will only make the problem worse and result in water damage, which can compromise the structural integrity of your home.
Schedule Gutter Maintenance in Advance
Since gutters are essential in preventing water-related issues in various parts of your home, you must ensure it stays in mint condition. One of the most effective ways to keep your gutter efficient is to schedule routine maintenance. Booking gutter maintenance services in advance will help you detect and address issues before they turn into costly repairs.
Get an Inspection After an Extreme Weather Event
Make it a habit to have your roof and gutters checked after extreme weather. Heavy rains, snow and high winds can also damage your gutters. If you have clogged gutters, they can hold water that can freeze in winter. This can cause gutters to go through cycles of expansion and contraction, which can harm their structure. High winds during the colder months can also loosen gutter components, which can be dangerous not only for your home but also to its occupants.
