With nippy fall weather and old man winter just around the corner, what shape is your home in for the upcoming cold weather? If you haven’t started on your winter checklist yet, it’s time to get started. By getting started now, you can spread these tasks out over the next several weeks, instead of having to try to get it all done at the last minute.
Wrap the pipes.
If you’ve had past freezing problems or have added new plumbing, make sure they’re wrapped and, if needed, heat taped to prevent broken pipe woes. Shut down and protect any outdoor plumbing fixtures as well.
Dodge drafts.
On a day when there’s a decent difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, go around your home with a candle or stick of incense. If it starts to move in a different fashion, you’ll need to spray foam or caulk a gap.
Weatherstripping woes.
What shape is your door and window weatherstripping in? If there are any tears, cracks or breaks in the weatherstripping, change it out to ensure draft-free operation.
Clean your chimney.
If you have a fireplace or wood stove, it’s important to clean your chimney before you start heating and up to two more times during warm spells in the heating season.
Update the thermostat.
Setting the thermostat to 75 in the summer saves money on electricity, but your furnace will burn through fuel quickly if it’s still that high in January.
Put away your yard equipment.
Drain the fuel tanks, run the equipment out of fuel and take care of any other seasonal maintenance before moving this equipment out of the way for the season.
Protect the landscaping.
Cover or heavily mulch your sensitive landscape plants to protect them from the harshness of winter. You’ll also want to trim back any branches or bushes getting too high or too close to utilities.
Change out your screens.
If you have removable screens and storm windows for your home, this is the time to swap them out for the season. At the same time, make any necessary repairs to ensure the screens are ready to go for next year.
Clean the gutters.
If your gutters can’t drain, they can hold water back and contribute to the formation of an ice dam or damaged gutters.
Powerwash.
Now is the time to get all that extra dirt and debris off the patio, deck or other surfaces around your home.
Store outdoor furniture.
Cover or store any outdoor furniture to protect it from a harsh winter and ensure years of reliable service.
Inspect the woodwork
Do you notice any rotting or splitting? If so, this is the time to take care of it before winter makes the existing problem even worse.
Get your winter equipment ready to go.
After you’ve stored your yard equipment, get your shovels, snowplow blade, snowblower and de-icer to a good location and check their functionality as they come out of storage.
Check the smoke detector.
Though many people do this when the time changes, make sure it happens to ensure your family remains safe in case of a fire.
Summary
By getting started on your winter checklist now, your home will be in great shape for the upcoming cold. We have a wide range of products that are well suited to your home’s winterization needs. Please feel free to contact our experienced associates today for more information, to get a quote, or to place an order.
