Problems facing homeowners include frozen pipes, which can burst and flood a room, or even a whole house, in minutes, destroying irreplaceable possessions and sometimes making a house unlivable. Likewise, heavy snowfalls can cause ice dams to form on roofs, and weak tree branches can become coated with ice until they break and crash into the house.

Fortunately, taking just a few minutes to prepare for the approaching storm and cold approach can help you possibly avoid some uncomfortable situations.

Here are some simple tips to help you possibly avoid damages from winter weather:

• Keep sidewalks and entrances to your home free from ice and snow.
• Keep the house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees, even when you are not home. If it is any lower, the temperature within the walls may fall low enough to allow pipes to freeze.
• Keep cupboard doors open below sinks to allow household air to warm the pipes (remove any dangerous chemicals or cleaners if any children are in the home). In poorly-insulated areas of the house, turn on hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly.
• Remove dead tree branches overhanging the house.
• Identify the location for the main water shutoff in your home; in case a pipe should burst, you can quickly shut off the water before any more damage is done.
• Keep gutters and downspouts clear. Conduct a quick visual inspection of the gutters and downspouts around your house.
• If possible, keep snow off the roof with a snow rake. Ice dams can form when warm temperatures inside a home cause snow on the roof to melt and trickle to the roof's edge, where it refreezes, blocking gutters and drains. Removing the snow will help to avoid this. However, do not climb on the roof to clear the snow as serious injury may result - and be cautious of electrical wires.
• In an emergency situation, where water is seeping into the house, the best advice is to notify a professional contractor right away.