Doesn’t it feel like summer just started? And yet, here we are staring down the start of the fall season with the cold weather that comes along with the winter season right around the corner.
You might not be ready to put your swim trunks away so that you can begin preparing for the winter. But you should think about doing it anyway since it won’t be too long now before the first winter storm hits.
We’ve put together a winter home maintenance checklist that you can use to get your house 100% ready for the wintertime. You shouldn’t have to worry about a thing this winter when you make the proper preparations in advance.
Here is everything that you should do to ensure your home is prepared once winter arrives.
Have Your Home’s Heating System Serviced
You might still be using your home’s HVAC system to cool your house at the moment. But in a matter of just a few weeks, you may have to fire your heating system up and use it to make your home warmer.
The last thing that you want to do is turn your heating system on this year and realize that it’s not working the way it’s supposed to. It’s why you should schedule service for your heating system before doing almost anything else. To further safeguard against unexpected malfunctions, consider enlisting the services of a reputable heating repair company for comprehensive inspections and timely repairs.
This should be the first box that you check off of your winter home maintenance checklist. It’ll guarantee that your heating system is ready to go this winter when the temperature drops.
Weatherproof Your Home’s Doors and Windows
Does your home tend to get drafty in the wintertime when the temperature goes down outside? This could very well be because your home’s doors and windows aren’t weatherproofed.
You should make it your mission to weatherproof the doors and windows throughout your home. It’ll stop the cold air outside of your home from taking a toll on the temperature inside of it.
Schedule a Roof Inspection
If you live in a part of the country that gets a lot of snow in the wintertime, you’re going to want to schedule a roof inspection at least once every few years and get a roofing estimate. Otherwise, your roof could start to develop weak spots without you noticing and potentially cave in when it has a bunch of snow sitting on top of it.
You should also make it a point to keep a close eye on your roof all throughout the winter season. If there happens to be a bad hailstorm in your area, you may need to repair hail damage to your roof with the help of a reputable roofing company in your area.
Trim Any Trees That Hang Over the Top of Your Home
Are there any trees surrounding your home that have branches that are starting to grow over the top of your house? If so, you’ll want to have those branches trimmed ASAP so that they don’t end up doing any damage to your roof or other parts of your home.
When snow starts to pile up on these branches, it will make them very heavy and increase the chances of them breaking and falling down onto your roof. You can stop them from doing this by having them trimmed when you notice them growing out of control.
Make Sure Your Home Doesn’t Have Any Plumbing Pipes Prone to Freezing
Do you have any plumbing pipes in your home that are situated in places where it gets very cold? If you do, you’re not going to want to leave them like that throughout the winter season.
If these plumbing pipes get to be too cold, the water in them could freeze and cause the pipes to burst. This will make a huge mess in your home and force you to do costly repairs.
You should add insulation to any plumbing pipes that might be prone to freezing. You should also keep your home’s heating system at a temperature that will prevent plumbing pipes from freezing and bursting at any point.
Arrange to Have Your Home’s Fireplace and Chimney Cleaned
If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you should use it early and often throughout the winter season. Depending on how big your home is, your fireplace might be able to heat your whole house so that you don’t have to rely on your heating system all the time.
But prior to firing up your fireplace for the first time this winter, you should arrange to have it cleaned. You should have your chimney cleaned as well since the soot that builds up in a chimney could serve as a fire hazard if you’re not careful.
Consider Adding Insulation to Your Home’s Attic Space
Do you have enough insulation up in your attic space? If you aren’t sure, you should go up there and take a look. You should then add insulation to your attic space accordingly.
If you don’t have enough insulation in your attic, it’s going to allow lots of heat to escape from your home and force your heating system to work harder than it should have to. It’s also going to leave you susceptible to ice dams on your roof, which could do damage to it.
Use This Winter Home Maintenance Checklist to Get Your House Ready for Cold Weather
The winter season can really wreak havoc on your home if you don’t make the necessary preparations. You’re going to make the winter even worse than it usually is by not getting your house ready for the cold weather that is to come.
We would encourage you to do each and every thing that appears on this winter home maintenance checklist. It’ll help you make it through another long winter unscathed and make it possible for you to stay warm all winter long.
Want to check out some other home improvements that you can make to your home to prepare it for winter? Find out all about them by reading through more of the articles found on our blog.