How to Winter-Proof Your Home

Winter is not only one of the most beautiful seasons that we experience every year, but it’s also one of the most distinct! When temperatures drop below freezing and moisture turns to snow and ice, it creates a unique mix of winter ‘slush’ underneath our feet that can wreak havoc when tracked indoors. At Floors By Roberts, we have the stylish surfaces that will dazzle visitors during the season, and we know how you can protect them—along with the rest of your home—from the elements. Here are a few valuable pointers to winter-proof your home.

Outdoor Mats

Before anyone enters your home, an outdoor mat will help to remove ice, snow, dirt, mud, and other particles before they even come inside. Arm every entranceway of your home including the front door, back door, garage door, and doors that lead to porches or decks with an outdoor mat for best results. An olefin outdoor mat is the ideal material for these areas, with texture that can scrape the bottom of boots and construction that can withstand chilly temperatures.

Shoe Racks

Now that you and your visitors have appropriately scraped your shoes on an outdoor mat, let’s take that winter footwear off before moving into the rest of the house. No matter what surfaces you have indoors, it will help to eliminate moisture that heavier winter footwear like boots and galoshes will track in. This will eliminate footprints on your hard surface flooring, and it will save your carpet from any lasting marks that require spot treatment or potential professional cleaning. Although you typically see shoe racks by garages and mudrooms, you may want to add one by your front entrance during the winter months.

Area Rugs

Sometimes, it’s not convenient for guests to take off their footwear. This will make it even more important to use area rugs throughout the home to winter-proof your floors! While adding to your winter design scheme, these valuable rugs will protect your floors from increased foot traffic and tracked-in winter slush. Browse our ’ for your favorite styles and try using welcome mats at the inside of entranceways, adding runners to hallways and stairs, and putting bigger rugs in high-traffic rooms such as living rooms and family rooms.

Humidifiers

If your home has gorgeous, natural hardwood, then you are already aware of the struggles that winter months will bring. When temperatures drop and humidity decreases, wood planks will experience contraction and essentially shrink during the season. Since wood is a porous product, this phenomenon is expected and completely natural. However, you want to avoid excessive shrinking, as it can result in permanent gaps and cracks in the wood itself, which will also create buckling and bowing. You can use a humidifier to regulate and adjust the humidity level inside your home so that no matter what it feels like outside, your wood floors have the perfect environment inside.

Remove Particles

Since the winter months produce such a particularly messy mix of melted snow, ice, and dirt that sticks to shoes, you want to be extra careful. If you generally clean your floors with a mop or cleaning system every two weeks, it will be wise to complete this task weekly during the winter to remove all particles. If possible, sweep or vacuum daily or as frequently as you can.

If you need to add new surfaces, mats, or area rugs in your home this winter, visit the Floors By Roberts showroom in Appleton, WI for all of the outstanding products and helpful information we have to offer!