With winter just around the corner in Pittsburgh, it’s time to begin preparing your lawn for the cold and snow. With icy roads and slippery sidewalks, winter brings a variety of hazards along with it, including threats to the health of your lawn. Snow mold is a common culprit, infecting your lawn with a fungal disease while the cold wind can damage the interior and exterior of plants and dehydrate them.

You can prevent these issues with fall lawn care, such as aeration and fertilization, to help your lawn survive the harsh winter conditions. If you have a sprinkler system, there are specific measures you will need to take to prepare your system for the winter, in addition to your lawn care. As your top choice for lawn care in the South Hills, J Bird’s Landscaping has put together a few tips on how you can prepare your sprinklers for the winter season. 

Water expands when it freezes, which explains how ice can spread quickly over the ground. This also explains how traces of water inside of your sprinkler system when the temperatures drop can lead to significant damage to your system in the long run. 

Types of damage that can occur due to freezing water include:

Each of these components is crucial to the operation of your sprinkler systems, so it is essential to protect them from damage. These repairs can be expensive, and even if one component fails, it can result in water waste that affects the system’s overall performance. 

By using proper winterization techniques, which should be provided by a professional, you can provide your sprinkler system with the protection it needs to survive the winter and work efficiently once spring arrives. 

Prior to the first frost of the season, the irrigation system water supply should be shut off to prevent any more water from entering the pipes. All water is then expelled from the system using one of the following methods:

This will remove all of the water in the irrigation components to prevent damage due to freezing. By adequately preparing the irrigation system, Pittsburgh homeowners can rest assured their system will work smoothly come springtime and can also avoid expensive repairs in the future. 

In addition to preparing your sprinkler system, it is also important to ensure your lawn is properly maintained with aeration and fertilization to ensure your lawn comes back healthy and green in the spring. When searching for “lawn maintenance near me,” be sure to choose J Bird’s Landscaping! Contact us today to learn more about our lawn care services. 

How To Prepare Your Sprinklers for Winter

J Bird's Landscaping