Winter can be one of the most wonderful times of year for those living in the Durango area, as residents unearth their snow pants and boots from their basements and begin waxing their skis and snowboards in anticipation of ski areas opening all around Southwest Colorado.
Children pull out their sleds from nearby sheds, and ice skaters head to Chapman Hills to test out their toe picks and get their blades sharpened.
Winter is also a time when the cold settles for a few months and causes damage to houses that have not been prepared for freezing temperatures. Taking careful steps to winterize a home could mean the difference between enjoying a nice hot bath in a warm house to wading around in an inch of freezing water from a burst pipe.
It is estimated that an average of 250,000 homes suffer flooding of some kind every year due to frozen pipes bursting, causing an estimated cost of $500 million in water damage.
“The best approach to the whole threat of frozen water damage would be prevention,” according to the water and fire emergency After Disaster website. “The pipes most susceptible to freezing are usually those that are near outer walls, in crawl spaces, or in the attic. All of these pipes should be properly insulated and even wrapped with approved heat tape where necessary. Outside leaks of air should be sealed. Garden hoses should be disconnected, and pipes leading to outside pipes should be shut off and drained. Open doors to interior cabinets containing water pipes in order to circulate warm air inside them. As a hard freeze approaches, open both hot and cold faucets to a trickle to help prevent the water from freezing.”
Experts also advise against turning the heat off when venturing away from home during the winter. To avoid the risk of having those pipes freeze, thermostats should be set between 65 to 70 degrees.
There are many ways for Jack Frost to sneak into homes, including through cracks in window seals, around doorways, through mail slots and in attics that do not have enough insulation.
“Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air,“ according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver website. ”Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring comes through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets. Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on walls, and seal leaks with low-expansion spray foam made for this purpose and install house flashing if needed.”
Energy Saver also recommends using foam sealant on larger gaps around windows, baseboards and other places where air may leak out, as well as replacing single-pane windows with more efficient double-pane low-emissivity windows. They also recommend sealing air leaks around fireplace chimneys, furnaces, and gas-fired water heater vents with fire-resistant materials such as sheet metal, sheetrock and furnace cement caulk.
Checking that fireplace flue before starting a fire is highly recommended. Creosote buildup, animal’s nests and other debris gathered in wood-burning fireplaces can be hazardous. Fireplaces should always be inspected before use.
Fireplace owners should also be aware of what they should and should not burn in their fireplace to avoid causing a house fire. Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Fire Chief Bruce Evans warned La Plata County residents in the dangers of burning wood in non-wood burning fireplaces in a previous interview with The Durango Herald.
“A lot of the time, fireplaces are dirty or people are burning the wrong things in them,” he said. “Sometimes they burn wood in a natural gas fireplace but it’s not designed for that kind of heat.”
Evans also worried that residents trying to save money on propane may put themselves in danger during the winter months.
“We’re somewhat concerned with fuel prices the way they are,” said Evans. “We’re going to have a lot more people trying to save money on propane and burning wood in fireplaces not designed for that.”
When temperatures begin to drop during the winter months, people start to run their heat for longer and longer hours every day, putting them at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year, and approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. visit the ER due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
The gas is found in fumes produced by furnaces, kerosene heaters, vehicles “warmed up” in garages, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, portable generators, or by burning charcoal and wood, states the CDC. Carbon monoxide from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces, and people and animals can die from breathing in the CO.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, check or change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector every six months, and have heating systems, water heaters and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
The CDC also recommends keeping vents and flues free of debris, which can block ventilation lines, and not leaving the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
Transplants from warmer climates moving in Southwest Colorado may be unaware of the tools needed to get through a particularly cold, snowy winter, such as snow shovels and ice scrapers for vehicles. Emergency car kits are also recommended, as well as flashlights with extra batteries. Residents living at higher altitudes prone to heavier snowfall should also mark the outline of their yards with snow stakes or driveway markers for the snow plows.
Residents should also have a backup plan if the power goes out or the heat is shut off.
Once houses are winterized and ready for Jack Frost’s long visit, Southwest Colorado residents can worry about more important things, like where to find the best sledding hills, how many marshmallows should be placed in a mug of hot chocolate or how much snow it’s going to take to make the ultimate Frosty the Snowman.
molsen@durangoherald.com
