5 Summertime Catastrophes to Prep For Before Leaving Town

The Rockies are in our backyards and during the beautiful summer months it's impossible to resist the call of a weekend trip. And since the kids are out of school it's easy to galavant around the country and enjoy some downtime. But what happens to your house when it's left alone for an extended period of time? 

Here are 5 potential catastrophes you need to prepare before you leave: 

Water Leaks
Interior water leaks can come from refrigerators, swamp coolers, dishwasher and water hoses. To prevent leaks from happening, turn the water off to those lines. Before you leave, do a quick test for leaks. Before turning off the water, check the water meter, don't let anyone use any water for about 15 minutes and then check again. If the meter shows there has been water use, you likely have a leak. 


Robbery
Headed overseas for a while? Leaving your home vacant for your road trip to Florida? To protect your home from robbery while you are away be careful where you share information about your trips. Avoid posting on social media that your home will be vacant for a long period of time. You may have tight privacy settings, but you never know who can see your posts, and you don’t want to come home to an emptied out house.

Infestation
As part of preparation for your trip want to make sure your food is stored in airtight containers and there are no crumbs anywhere in your home. Most pests are attracted to food so removing the temptation will help to prevent any problems. Walk the outside of your home to look for any cracks and then take the appropriate measures to seal them such as spray foam. Even simply spraying the outside of your home with a pest control product can help to prevent an infestation. It’s easier to keep pests away then it is to get rid of them.


Tree limb breaks
With Colorado’s unpredictable weather you can never be too careful about tree limbs that could potentially cause damage. It would be awful to come home from a weekend of camping to find a tree limb crushing your home. Hire a professional or spend a Saturday removing low hanging tree limbs are close to your home and dead branches, as these are likely to be blown off in a severe thunderstorm.


Thunderstorms
Summer is thunderstorm season in Colorado, and impressive thunderstorms they are. With the potential for lightning strikes and hail, it’s important to protect your house from these storms. Before you leave for your trip make sure that your major appliances and electronics are unplugged to prevent damage from power surges. If you live at a higher elevation, consider hiring a professional to install a lightning rod to further protect your home from lightning. If your home is ready for a new roof, install hail resistant shingles that carry a class 4 UL rating.