The calendar has flipped to September and the pumpkin spice takeover has begun! Shifting to colder weather can be hard on houses – and your wallet. By taking some simple steps, you can improve the efficiency and value of your home, while avoiding costly repairs down the line. So before you curl up on the sofa with your latte and binge-watch Netflix, check these important maintenance tasks off your list.
- Disconnect hoses from outside faucets – This saves your hose by keeping water from freezing, expanding, and breaking the hose casing. More importantly, it allows the pipes inside your home to fully drain, avoiding costly frozen and broken pipes.
- Schedule a furnace check-up – Don’t wait until you have to flip on the heat to have your system checked and cleaned. Ensure all equipment is functioning properly to improve efficiency and avoid breakdowns and dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.
- Clean your gutters – Not a fun job, but it has to be done! The combo of leaves and debris with ice and water run-off from snow melt can wreak havoc on your gutters and your home. From rot in roof decking to gutters pulling away from the structure to foundation issues from improper drainage, clogged gutters can cause big headaches down the road.
- Secure & repair decking – Loose and warped boards are just asking for trouble. Avoid dangerous falls by fastening loose boards with galvanized deck screws and propping up low spots with wooden shims.
- Insulate your whole-house fan – Placing an insulated box over your whole-house fan while not in use for the cold seasons will pay off. This step will help keep warm air from escaping your home. It will also help keep that warm moist air from collecting in the attic where it will frost or freeze against the cold roof decking, then melt and drip back into your home, causing potential mold issues. No one likes a moldy attic.
- Prune trees – Not only will you enhance your curb appeal, you’ll avoid having snow-laden trees and bushes from brushing against your home and damaging the exterior walls. That is a win-win!
- Scrape, prime & paint – Jump on this one early before the colder, moist air has a chance to damage wood on your home’s exterior. Peeling paint traps moisture – it’s better to have bare wood than peeling paint – so be sure to scrape even if you can’t get to painting until spring.
Of course, we also recommend having your home tested for radon to ensure the air in your home is safe for your family. You can learn more about radon here. Check off your list, grab your toasty beverage and remote, then kick back and relax. You are set for winter!
