Like it or not, the winter season is right around the corner and there’s no stopping it. Now, this means a lot of things. Frosted leaves and almost ‘naked’ trees, really cold nights, warm cocoa, and additional undergarments, etc.
Time to prepare our homes! Why? Well, first of all, we want to have peace of mind our home is ready for the cold weather, that way we can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the cold season. We can’t do that if there’s a broken window, old and clogged filters, etc. Also, since we love our house so much, we want it to be able to take on the winter ‘hits’ and still (hopefully) be in tip-top shape during and after the cold season.
So, without further ado, we bring you the ten tips to get your house ready for winter.
Interior Checks:
1. Have the heating unit / system checked. Test it yourself or call an expert to check your heating system. Make sure that it’s thoroughly checked and working properly, and that the filter is brand new. Go and take advantage of those summer discounts!
2. Change air filters and dust those registers or baseboard units! Air filters are supposed to be changed regularly anyway as it improves the air quality inside. This step also protects your heating system. Dust buildup is inevitable so vacuum or dust, dust, dust those registers and baseboard units.
3. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure that they are working properly. If you don’t have them, this is the best time to have them installed in your home.
4. Get those carpets cleaned. Well, if you have a carpeted home, this is the time to make sure that your carpets are very clean. As you know, this will also help improve the air quality in your home. So go, and get them ready for winter!
5. Check your doors and windows. You can actually do this one yourself, or hire a home contractor to do it for you. This will help decrease those enormous energy bills during winter as it will certainly prevent the cold air from entering your home. If there are broken windows, now is the time to replace them.
6. Have a fireplace? Get your chimney checked. Getting the fireplace ready before the winter season is really great. Make sure that you have them cleaned – if you haven’t done that for a while. It also helps if you have a screen or some sort of cap on top of your home’s chimney.
Exterior Checks:
7. Roof and gutter inspection. Make sure that you check and replace worn roof tiles or shingles. Check and clean your gutters – it’s not the easiest chore but it is rather important to make sure that there will be no (again, hopefully) ice damming.
8. Ready your snow shovels, ice scrapers and sidewalk salt. It’s better if you know where to get them (and you can easily get them) when needed.
9. Prepare your lawn. Aerate, fertilize and re-seed your lawn. Before you store your lawnmower, make sure that it is clean and that the gas is drained.
10. Goodbye summer décor. Hello winter. If possible, patio furniture should be stored during winter. If not, make sure that you have waterproof protectors to cover as the winter season will not be so nice to them. If you plan to put up some winter decorations, go ahead and do this as early as now.
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Great website!