Before your house protests the cold winter weather – you know, breaking and freezing and stuff (and, let’s be real, costing lots of money), it’s important that you get your house ready with some home maintenance!
1. Check your heating unit. Like we said, winter is cold. Super cold. Change the filters, or get a reputable contractor to look it over. An HVAC inspection is a good idea (and they can also check your furnace and water heater are vented right so they don’t leak carbon monoxide).
2. Check the exterior wood of the house around windows and stuff.
3. Make sure your drainage is working. You need to make sure that there are no places where water collects on the ground. The water needs to go away from your house, so make that happen. Water + cold weather = freezing. And that isn’t good around the foundation of your house.
4. Clean the gutters. Yeah, we know – groan. But it’s a good idea so that water doesn’t overflow and then go all over the place and then get into your house.
5. Get the chimney cleaned. Again, groan. But still. It’s a good idea. Get a trustworthy chimney company to clean the icky stuff out.
6. Get firewood if you need it. Plan out where you can put the firewood.
7. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
8. Close down the pool and sprinkler system. Drain the outside sprinkler system. Also drain the outside faucet. Basically close and drain all the things.
9. Make sure your trees are okay. You have to make sure that you don’t have any dead trees because those can fall and smash stuff.
10. Seal your home against critters. Animals are cute and fluffy when they’re outside. Make sure that tree branches aren’t too close to the house and that there are no holes that could let creatures inside.
11. Consider getting an energy audit. That way you’re not wasting money – err energy.
12. Take care of your outdoor furniture. Either take it inside or cover it.
13. Get ready for snow. Make sure that you have enough shovels and stuff.
Yeah, winter is great and all that, but it can be tough on your home. Get ready to get through the winter and protect your house.
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