Winter Maintenance on your Home

Now that we are neck deep in winter - hopefully not neck deep in snow, but maybe for some. Do you have a maintenance list to take care of your home? Did you know that there are some simple things you can do to make sure that this big investment is taken care of? Some symptoms that might be diagnosed and solved before they become serious and expensive problems.

This list is by no means complete! But hopefully it gets you started with some regular check up and maintenance items.

Outside:

Often times we are in such a hurry to get into the house - we miss somethings that are happening on the exterior parts of the house.

• Poke your head into the attic spaces. (These spaces should be cold - really within in about 5 degrees of the outside temp - if it’s not, you may have some insulation issues.
• While you’re up there, shine a light on the upper surfaces to see if there is any moisture. This should be a dry space, if there is moisture - that’s something you’re going to want a roofer to look into. Could be ventilation issues, could be insulation issues - either way, you have issues.
• Are all your outdoor lights working?
• Take a peek at your exterior - does everything look ok?

Inside:

Since we are kind of locked up in our houses this time of year - now is a good time to look around and make sure that things are as they should be.

• Check your air filters on your furnace - should be replaced regularly, I like to make sure they are getting replaced monthly during the winter months with the house being closed up.
• Is your water heater working well - check the settings and make sure that it’s not set too high.
• How’s that water softener working for you? Did you forget to put salt in there?
• Do you have a fire extinguisher in the house? If yes, how old is it? You should have one in the kitchen and I like to have at least one in the garage. But one on every level seems smart also.
• Is your sump pump working? Pour some water down there and make sure it’s being drained. While you’re at it - how old is that pump? This is something you want to replace BEFORE it fails. Usually every 5-7 years.
• Check your grout and caulk around bathtubs, sinks and showers. This is an easy do it yourself project or handyman project that just makes things look nicer and protects from water damage and mold build up.
• How about cleaning the oven? Yeah, I know - I hate doing that also.
• Making sure that under the fridge is vacummed and not dusty - ultimately this can build up and cause your compressor to work harder than it really wants to - sometimes they just decide to stop working altogether.

Again, this is by no means a complete list - but I think it’s a good start - what other things can you think of - add them to the comments section.

Have heart! Spring is right around the corner!!!