It’s that time again… winter is coming. And, well, with a little more time on our hands these days, what not a better time to complete a few simple household tasks to keep our homes cozy and safe.
Winter weather can be unpredictable, and cold temperatures, high winds, ice and snow can cause serious damage to your home. To avoid costly weather-related repairs, it’s important to prep your home and property for winter.
| Get a head start on winterizing your home, so you can comfortably enjoy the approaching colder months. |
- Weatherproof windows and doors—Check your doors and windows for gaps, and seal them up with caulk, weather stripping or thermal window treatments.
- Protect entryway flooring—With snow, ice and road salt, the flooring of your home can take a hit. Keep your floors clean by providing floor mats in different entry points to the home and providing a boot scraper or brush for removal of excess snow.
- Inspect the fireplace—Clogged chimneys can cause house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to schedule an annual fireplace inspection and professional chimney sweep.
- Check the HVAC system—Before the weather cools down, change the filters, and schedule your annual HVAC system inspection and tune-up.
- Prevent freezing pipes—To help keep pipes at a constant temperature, ensure there is sufficient insulation and that heat can circulate in your home.
Equally as important, consider the following preventive measures outside the house:
- Trim tree branches—Keep tree limbs at least 3 metres away from the house to prevent excess water from seeping into potential cracks on the roof or siding.
- Seal cracks—Take a walk around your home to look for any exterior cracks in caulk, paint, wood or concrete surfaces. It’s critical to protect the exterior from the elements and prevent water leaks and drafts into your home.
- Clean out the gutters—Clogged gutters or downspouts can damage the foundation or cause ice dams—which may require expensive repairs. Remove leaves, twigs and other debris from gutters to ensure they aren’t holding water.
Well, there you have it 🙂 Not too bad of a list. We also have this handy dandy Fall Maintenance Checklist on hand for a more thorough approach to winterizing your home.