Ready or not! Winter is coming!
If you live in northern climes, it’s time to make your home ready for cold, howling winds, and layers of ice and snow. Continue reading to learn what you need to do as a homeowner to preserve your house this winter.
Look into home protection plans
Do you have problems sleeping at night because you worry about everything that can and will go wrong with your home? Why not research the best home protection plans on the market? You’ll sleep easier knowing that if your washer and dryer decide to expire the same week, you won’t be out thousands of dollars in repairs or replacements costs.
Clean the vents and ducts in your home
There are several reasons that you should clean your home’s vents and ducts at the beginning of each new season. First, you’ll find it easier to keep your home clean if your ductwork is cleaned. Second, cleaning your ductwork will reduce the number of allergens, pollen, and mold spores circulating through your home. Finally, cleaning your air ducts increases the efficiency of your heating unit.
While you are at it, don’t forget to replace your furnace filter too. At a minimum, your furnace filter should be changed on the first day of every new season.
Schedule regular furnace maintenance
Make sure your heater is ready for winter by having service technicians visit your house. They will make sure that your heater is working correctly and efficiently. Efficient systems cost less to run, so this maintenance appointment may help lower your monthly bill.
Another reason to have an expert look at your system is that they will make sure your heating unit is running safely. Ask your service tech to test for carbon monoxide, Freon, or other types of gas leaks.
Even though you will have to pay for a service technician to come to your house for this appointment, it will be worth it in the long run. Systems that receive annual maintenance last longer than systems that are ignored for years.
Unhook your hoses
Don’t forget to unhook your outside hoses before you receive a hard freeze. When you remove your hose, water is not able to enter the pipes. Water in your exterior pipes during a hard freeze because it will cause your pipes to crack. You don’t have to be a plumbing expert to know that broken pipes are a bad thing.
Check Your Gutters
Make sure your gutters are working correctly. This should be done a couple of times a year, but it is especially important to look at after all the leaves have dropped from the trees. If your gutters aren’t working correctly, water will collect around your foundation.
Trim the Trees
Your trees will look so pretty this winter trimmed with ice and snow. You don’t want those snow-covered limbs to break off and do damage to your roof, car, fence, or your neighbors’ property.
Call an expert to trim any branches that are above power lines.
Clean Your Dryer Vent
Here’s a statistic that will keep you up at night. Dryers cause over 15,000 fires each year. One way to reduce the risk of a fire due to a dryer is to remove the built-up lint and debris from your home’s dryer vent. You can purchase kits at your favorite home improvement store to help you with this task.
Weatherproof Your Doors and Windows
Check for gaps between your home’s siding and your window or door. If you see a gap that is bigger than the width of a nickel, it may be time to reapply exterior caulk.
Clean Your Chimney
Nothing is more relaxing than enjoying the crackling sound of a burning fire. Your relaxing time may turn into a disaster if your chimney is not working correctly. Have a professional clean your chimney. Make sure that all the vents are well maintained and working properly.
Gather Your Winter Supplies
Don’t wait until for a blizzard to gather a snow shovel, ice melt, ice scrapers, broom, gloves, and hats. Don’t forget to purchase extra hot chocolate and marshmallows too. You won’t want to go shopping when the roads are bad, and your local big box store may have a run on those items when bad weather hits.
Although no one wants to spend their free time winterizing a home, it is worthwhile in the long run. Think about how cozy and comfortable you will feel when you know that your home is ready for winter.
