Winter Prep Tips for Your Home
While shopping for friends and family this winter season, don’t forget your home might be in need of a gift before the winter season arrives in full force. Home ownership comes with its fair share of responsibilities, and properly maintaining it to retain its value and overall functionality is just one of those responsibilities. Here are some steps you can take to ensure your home is ready for the winter so you and your family can remain comfortable during whatever celebrations you might have planned.
Check Out Your Roof
Have a professional roofer climb up and take a look at your roof to ensure it’s in the best shape possible. Leaks, damage and missing shingles can lead to mounting problems that can be avoided if you take care of issues now rather than wait. While the roofer is at your home, ask about preventative measures for ice dams, which can also damage your roof.
Take Care of Your Lawn
While you might grumble at the idea of raking up leaves from your lawn, doing so goes a long way in protecting your grass and preparing it for the spring season. After you’ve raked your lawn, you’ll want to give it a final mow (at a height of about two inches) for the season. If you’re feeling especially ambitious about home maintenance, you can spread grass seed and lime over your lawn, but you’ll only want to apply lime to your yard every three years or so to keep it from becoming too acidic.
Check for Leaks
Check out all your home’s doors and windows for air leaks, which can cause your HVAC unit to work harder than it has to, which often leads to you spending more than necessary on your energy bills. You can use weatherstripping and caulk to plug up leaks. If you have leaks but can’t tell where they’re coming from, it’s a good idea to conduct a pressurization test so you know for sure where you’re losing air so you can have it taken care of.
Don’t Neglect Your Garden Tools or Lawn Furniture
If you water your lawn with a garden hose, be sure to shut off the water and drain the hose completely before disconnecting and storing it for the season. This prevents any water inside the hose from freezing, which can damage it. Once you’ve finished mowing your lawn, clean the mower off and follow any maintenance tips the manufacturer might offer before putting it away. All your bladed gardening tools should be washed off and glazed with a bit of motor oil to protect them.
Clean Out Your Gutters
As part of roof maintenance, you’ll want to clean out your gutters of all leaves, debris, nests and anything else that might be clogging them. Stopped up gutters are to blame for ice dams, and even if it’s not winter time, any rain that becomes trapped in your gutters can harm your home’s walls, soffit and basement. If you’d rather not climb up and clean out your gutters yourself, hire a professional to take care of the job for you.
Protect the investment you’ve made in your home this winter season. Put these tips to good use, and be sure to turn to experts like Laura Lahti for additional suggestions on home maintenance.
