Being a home-owner means having to always be one step ahead, especially in the winter. You don’t want to be caught off guard once the days start becoming freezing. Here are some tips on how to prepare your house for the winter:
Check your plumbing
One of the things that get easily affected by the cold weather is plumbing. Repairing it once the damage is already done can be both costly and time-consuming. So, to avoid plumbing freezing in the winter, turn off all of your outdoor faucets and pipes until the spring. You won’t need them anyway. If you have plumbing in a non-insulated area, you might consider insulating it, to prevent any freezing.
Clean the chimney and the fireplace
The most beautiful part of the winter is getting to curl up in front of a cozy fire. However, failing to inspect the fireplace and the chimney can ruin the whole experience for you. A blocked chimney can be a hazard to your family. Hiring a chimney sweeper once a year will ensure that the fireplace is in working order and safe to use. At the same time, you should consider getting a hold of firewood, giving it time to dry more until the winter.
Check the heating system
To make the most of your heating system, maintaining it regularly is necessary. Otherwise, a system that is built to last up to 15 years could be dead much sooner. You don’t want to waste money like that! A well-maintained heating system can last even longer than its average life span. So, before the cold winter days come, make sure to check the filters at least. However, the best way to be safe is to hire professionals that specialize in gas heating repairs, to inspect it, and possibly fix anything. By checking your heating system before winter, you’ll have enough time to solve the problem without haste.
Clean the gutters
The perfect time to pay attention to the gutters is in the fall, but only once almost all the leaves are gone. Filthy backed up drains pose a threat to your house in different ways. Once they fill up and overflow, not only is the exterior of your home in danger, but water can do much damage to your foundation when it finds its way under the concrete and settles there. When it comes to that, solving that problem can be a major hassle. Avoiding that is as simple as taking a ladder and getting rid of all the leaves a couple of times in the fall.
Inspect the drainage
Excess water around your house can be a threat to your foundation. Go around the house and check the soil, and whether it has settled and made spots for the water to linger on. Once you find such an area, fill it out. The main principle here is that the water needs to move further away from the house. If it doesn’t, it can slowly damage your foundation, or freeze in the winter, and wreck your installations.
Repaint and seal the wood trim
The wood trim on your exterior needs to be protected from weather conditions regularly. The wood used for the trim around your doors is usually made of pine boards, which loses its quality over time. So, if you wait long enough, you might end up with rot around your doors and windows. Most often than not, you’ll have to hire professionals to repair your trim and make it look presentable again. To avoid losing money this way, make sure to check the trim for rot regularly. Once it is rotten, you’ll probably have to call someone. So, go around the house and see whether the caulk has cracked somewhere and where it needs to be sealed. Painting the trim and caulking is something most people can tackle by themselves.
Sometimes it easy to forget and leave the house preparation for some other time. However, when that other time comes, it can be late. Luckily, most of these things can be done in a weekend. After that you’ll put your mind at rest, knowing that your home is ready for the winter!
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