Winter Home Maintenance Tips
While you stay bundled up indoors what happens outdoors can negatively affect the health of your house. Before the winter cold sets in, check off these items.
Familiarize yourself and responsible family members with gas main valve, water main valve and other appliance valves to assure that when needed, everyone in the household knows where to look quickly to avoid panic.
Check HVAC filters, and operation before heating is needed to assure everything is working properly. It can save you the expense of a weekend or emergency after hour service fee to HVAC companies. It is a great idea to have a routine HVAC cleaning and service performed annually before the cold winter months set in.
This is a good time to blow the dust off or purchase outdoor faucet covers (The cover that looks like a Turkish Fez) Make sure your hoses are removed from the exterior faucets, and put covers on them to prevent freezing pipes.
Make sure that the caulking and seals are in good condition around windows and doors.
How is your attic insulation? This is a good time to make sure the insulation is ready for winter. One quick way to determine if you need more insulation is to look across the floor of your attic. If the insulation is level with or below your floor joists, more insulation is needed. If the insulation is well above the joists, you are probably set. Check for low spots, and replenish. You can add loose fill on top of fiberglass batts or blankets. If you use fiberglass over loose fill, make sure the fiberglass batt has no paper or foil vapor barrier. The insulation needs to be unfaded. Avoid laying insulation over recessed light fixtures or soft vents. Keep all insulation at least 3 inches away from can lights, unless they are IC-rated. If you are using loose-fill insulation, use sheet metal to create barriers around the openings. If using fiberglass, wire mesh can be used to create a barrier.
Need a Professional Home Inspection before winter storms hit? Contact us or hit book an appointment.
