Beautiful, snowy winters are the reason so many people choose to buy a second home in Park City. Unfortunately, without adequate preparation, Utah winters can wreak havoc on your property.

Don’t let your vacation home in the mountains fall into disarray. Help to keep your Park City vacation home in tip-top shape all winter along with our property manager’s expert winter maintenance tips. Read on to learn more.

1. Set Your House Thermostats to No Lower Than 60 degrees While You’re Away.

It’s not uncommon for your home’s power to go out, or for your furnace to break down. Either of these shutdowns can cause your pipes to freeze and burst, resulting in water damage and much-needed, expensive repairs.

While our clients are away, the property management staff at Cloud 9 checks every thermostat in our clients’ homes. We set them to an appropriate temperature, helping to prevent pipes from freezing. Right before our clients return, we reset the temperature of every room in our clients’ home, making sure it’s warm and cozy inside.  

2. Check for Potential Heat Tape Issues Along Your Roofline.

Heat tape runs along your home’s roof lines, carrying a conductive wire. When you turn on heat tape, it heats up, prevents ice dams from forming on your roof and, subsequently, melting and leaking into your house.

Remember to inspect the heat tape on your roofline for any issues and turn on heat tape before a snowstorm hits, not after.

Cloud 9 clients never have to worry about installing, inspecting, or turning on heat tape. Our team handles this for you when you’re out and about.

3. Cover Exterior Water Spigots, and Keep Them Insulated.

Frozen pipes are one of the most destructive, yet preventable issues we see in second homes. Before the first snow flies, disengage all of your home’s exterior water hoses. Place an insulated cover over each of the spigots. This coverage will help to prevent your pipes from freezing once the temperature drops.

At Cloud 9, we insulate the exterior water spigots at all of our clients’ homes every fall.

4. Check Your Breaker Box if the Heat Tape Isn’t Working.

Occasionally heat tape doesn’t work. In the event that your heat tape isn’t effectively melting snow and ice on your roof, check your home’s breaker box. A tripped breaker is the likely culprit.

In this case, start by resetting your circuit breaker. If it still doesn’t turn your heat tape on, it’s likely that your breaker has blown a fuse. The heat tape itself also may have failed and needs to be serviced.

Cloud 9 clients never have to check their heat tap or their home’s breaker box. They don’t need to concern themselves with a tripped breaker or a blown fuse. We take care of all it for you.

5. Know Where Your Main Water Line Shut Valve Is.

Emergencies happen. Should pipes freeze and burst, shutting down the main water line is quickest way to stop the damage. Clearly mark where your main water line shut valve is, and make sure all of the members of your family know where it’s located.

Let Us Maintain Your Second Home This Winter

Vacation home maintenance requires a significant amount of attention. You don’t want to be kept up at night, worrying about the potential damage you’re going to have to fix once you return home.

That’s where we come in. Let the experienced property management staff at Cloud 9 PC take care of your home this winter. To learn more about our home management services, email us today at info@cloud9homemgmt.com.