Stay on Top of Winter Home Maintenance
Snow falling in the backyard is beautiful at first glance, but it also means the cold winter weather has arrived. Snow and freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on your home. Drafts, roof damage, ice dams, and even fallen trees are all a cause for concern. Before anybody starts hanging holiday decorations, tackling some important winter home maintenance projects may be wise.
Winter Home Maintenance Tips
We’ve put together a guide to help with winter home maintenance this year.
Weatherproof doors and windows.
Discovering a draft in the middle of a snowstorm will leave you struggling to stay warm. Get ahead of the cold by making sure doors and windows are properly sealed and caulked to prevent the cold air from leaking inside.
Reverse your fans.
Changing ceiling fans to turn clockwise is one of the best secrets to saving money on your heating bill this winter, as it pushes the warm air down into the room. Most fans have a switch that allows you to make the change.
Protect entryway flooring.
Entryway flooring experience plenty of wear and tear during the winter, as people track in salt, snow, and grit from outside, all of which can ruin a floor over time. Add floor mats to high-traffic areas to prevent continuous damage and keep floors looking their best longer.
Clean dryer hose.
More than 14,000 house fires occur every year because of clogged dryer hoses. Cleaning dryer hoses every winter can help minimize the chance of a fire, along with checking the vent and lint trap regularly.
Check batteries.
If you didn’t change the batteries in your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors when the time changed, now is the perfect time to cross it off your list.
Clean out gutters.
Gutters should be tended to before the first snowfall. Remove leaves, branches, and other debris to allow water to flow freely through the system. Otherwise, once the snow melts, the water gets stuck in the gutters, freezes, and causes them to bulge or break, resulting in water damage to the house.
Schedule vital inspections.
Homeowners should have their roof, HVAC, and fireplace inspected annually before the winter season. Ensuring that these systems are working correctly can help to avoid headaches and more significant expenses in the middle of the winter.
Trim trees.
Take a look at the trees on your landscape. If you notice any limbs or branches that could break from heavy snowfall, remove them now to prevent damage to the house.
Preparing a house for the winter is one of those necessary projects nobody can afford to ignore. Use these tips as a guide to prepare. When you are ready to think about your lawn, remember, Perennial Lawn Care can help with seasonal lawn and pest treatments!
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