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It's important to prepare your home before the winter sets in, so you can protect it from damage that will cost you down the road. Home maintenance isn't something we like to do, but it's something we must do to improve our home's value and keep it looking nice. Today, we have a few tips on what to do to prepare for the cold weather season: - Winterize the cooler: If you have an evaporative cooler, make sure you drain it, take the belt out, and ensure the pump is dried out. You want to make sure all the water is off before sealing it up. If you have a damper, make sure you put it between the cooler and the furnace at this time.
- Check the roof: During home inspections, the roof is typically the one item we see that gets the least amount of maintenance. If you're not comfortable checking the roof, we understand. However, we recommend having a roofing company come out and take a look at it. They'll check the penetrations and make sure everything looks good.
- Check your gutters and canals: Make sure there is no debris clogging the waterways on your roof. It's important that water is properly diverted to protect your foundation.
- Sweep your chimney: If you have a wood burning fireplace, be sure to sweep the chimney so it's ready to go when the cold weather sets in.
- Winterize the gas powered equipment: Make sure you drain the fuel of your lawnmowers, weed whips, and leaf blowers. You can also use stabilizers to protect the motors over the winter season.
- Change smoke detector batteries: This is just a good habit to get into. They should be changed every six months.
- Check your fire extinguisher: If you don't have one, you should get one. If you do have one, you should check it - they often go years without being used.
- Check for air leaks in the house: To maximize energy efficiency, use weather sealing and caulk to keep warm air in the house.
- Reverse the ceiling fan: This will push warm air down and circulate through the home. This is another easy tip to increase energy efficiency.
