These four steps can help prevent damage from freezing temps

According to the NOAA, odds are high that we're in for a colder, wetter winter in almost all areas of the Pacific Northwest, thanks to this year's La Nina weather pattern.

With freezing weather, your home could be at risk for damage from preventable incidents like burst pipes.

While it's true can't control what Mother Nature throws our way this winter, we can take proactive steps around our home and property to reduce our risk of damage from freezing temps.

Do you love prevention as much as we do? Follow these four tips from the experts:

1.  Disconnect your garden hose and cover the faucet.  If you can't completely shut off the water, experts recommend you use a simple faucet cover to wrap your exterior spigots. It will help trap heat around the tap, preventing the formation of frost on the metal and plastic. It will also help ensure water can't freeze and expand inside the pipe, potentially bursting and wreaking havoc.  

2.  Open under-sink cabinet doors on exterior walls. This will allow heated air from the room to warm vulnerable pipes on extra-cold nights (especially important if you think there’s a chance your exterior walls are under-insulated). If temps are truly frigid, consider turning on the faucet to continually run a very thin stream of cold water. Moving water doesn’t freeze as easily.

3.  Wrap insulation around pipes in unheated spaces (attic, garage) and add extra insulation if needed to attics and crawlspaces where pipes run.

4.  Clean gutters to prevent ice damming. During rapid snowmelt, plugged gutters could cause water to seep back into the roof (causing leaks) or overflow near the foundation, causing leaks and settling.

No preventative measures are a magic bullet, but they pack a big punch when it comes to helping reduce your risk of winter weather damage (or mitigating its impact!).