The Inside Outside Guys ~ Leaving Your Home in the Cold
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein
DETROIT, November 2, 2023 ~ Are you closing down your northern home before you head to a warmer climate for the winter?
Perhaps you are simply shutting down a summer home for the cold weather duration.
In either case, it is important to keep some things in mind that will help preserve and protect the vacated property.
First, turn the heat on. Remember, our homes are framed primarily with wood, which can swell and shrink and “move” in different conditions. Attached to that wood frame is drywall or plaster that does not shrink or swell with changing humidity and temperatures. If you turn the heat off during the winter, the entire frame can dry and shrink and freeze. This will result in the wall finishes cracking and showing “nail pops.”
Wood trims, window and door frames and cabinets can also be victimized by this drying, freezing and shrinking.
What’s the best temperature to set the thermostat? The answer is different for different homes. A well-sealed and insulated home could be set at 55 degrees, while an older, drafty, poorly insulated home might be set at 45 to minimize cost. The object is to keep the structure and its component parts from freezing.
PODCAST:
November 5, 2023 ~ Chuck “The Inside Guy” Breidenstein and Ken “The Outside Guy” Calverly offer the knowledge and resources you need to make the home of your dreams a reality. Catch them every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon on 760 WJR.
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For housing advice and more, listen to “The Inside Outside Guys” every Saturday and Sunday on 760 WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact them at InsideOutsideGuys.com.