For many homeowners in the Kansas City area, the winter months are the most wonderful time of the year. Between holiday celebrations, starting a New Year, and wishing for snow days, this season can be magical – but it can also wreak havoc on your home.

From bitterly cold temperatures to dirt-ridden slush in your front entryway and more, winter can do some major damage to your house. This year, keep your home in top shape during these extreme months with a few simple tips:

Keep it Warm

With wind chills regularly falling below zero, your home has to work hard to stay warm enough to function in top condition. Not only is keeping your home warm important for comfort, but in the winter, your pipes have a habit of freezing, which can cause them to burst, leading to severe water damage. A great way to make sure your house, and pipe system, stays warm this winter is to always keep your furnace set to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and to secure all of your windows and doors with proper weather-stripping, or even replace those that are beyond repair, to stop warm air from escaping.

Be Strategic with Rug Placement

Nothing is quite as annoying as melted snow on your pristine hardwood floors. Avoid the mess, and the damage it can cause (like warped boards, dulled shine, and more) by strategically placing rugs in all high-traffic areas of your home. From the entryway to your living room and everywhere in between, these rugs will help catch the liquid as it comes in on shoes, and keep your floor dry and healthy all winter.

Reinforce Your Siding

Problems are likely to arise when you have uneven, cracked, or unpatched siding during the winter months. Not only can warm air escape out of problematic siding much like it can through unsecured windows and doors, but the holes in your siding can also act as an open invitation to wildlife seeking shelter from the cold. Repairing your siding, or having an expert from Total Home KC do the job for you, will help keep your home warm, protected, and pest free when it matters the most.

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Whether you love making snow angels or just wish spring would hurry up, protecting your home from the harsh effects of winter is easy, and will keep your property in top shape for the rest of the year to come.