Let’s talk Winter home maintenance tips!
We all love this time of year. The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping, and we start thinking about the long winter ahead. While I’m getting my winter clothing out of storage and thinking about putting the snow tires on my truck it’s also time to think about how I’m going to properly transition my home to be prepared for winter. Here’s a few items that should be on your winter home maintenance checklist.
One of the most critical things you should take care of at the start of winter is to have a professional come and check the function of your fireplace and chimney. This type of preventative maintenance is critical to ensure your safety and your neighbors. There are many chimneys sweeping services in Pagosa Springs. I service my wood stove and chimney every year and recommend you do the same. At a minimum, I suggest doing this every other year.
Do an external survey of your home by checking your roof and crawl space. I like to get up on the roof and visually inspect it, looking for loose screws that need to either be tightened down or replaced. Make sure to remove leaves and pine needles from the roof and gutters before the first snow comes. When it comes to roof maintenance during the winter you’ll want to make sure that your snow rake is in good working condition. You want to remove snow after a big storm event as quickly as you can. If left unchecked, this snow can consolidate into ice and cause an ice dam on your roof. This can cause a lot of damage. This should be number one on your winter home maintenance checklist.
Once your roof inspection is done it’s time to look at the underside of your home, in the crawl space.
Make sure all plumbing fittings are still snug and nothing is leaking. Small leaks can turn into big problems when the mercury plummets. Take a look at your insulation and take notes if anything looks to be loose or crumbling. Make sure that all the venting is free and clear of obstructions.
Take a good look around your home before the snow starts to fly and determine if it may be time to repaint or stain after winter. Make note of spots that look like they could use a touch-up so you can determine if winter storms have caused accelerated wear.
While winter can be a truly beautiful and enjoyable season it takes more resources to maintain a comfortable living environment. Reducing energy costs during the winter to maintain a comfortable living space is on the mind of every homeowner. There are some simple things I like to do to keep my home heated with less energy cost.
Check for gaps in doors or windows and seal them up properly. At your local hardware store, I can find no shortage of solutions to block door drafts. These are simple items that I can add to the bottom of my door that will block the cold air from coming in and letting the warm air escape. For windows, I can add weather stripping to any gaps to help seal in the warm air. Additionally, many homeowners utilize special weather-sealing plastic wrap to completely seal gaps.
Taking it a step further.
Your home is your sanctuary, a place to feel safe, and it’s a huge investment. For my home, every few years I consider bringing in an expert. You can hire a team to come into your home with infrared scanners that will detect any gaps or leaks in your infrastructure. I always look at doors that are externally facing to find the biggest offenders. These experts and their tools can show you exactly where to focus your energy-saving efforts and they will also shed light on whether it is time to consider replacing these fixtures.
Additional considerations to add to your winter home maintenance checklist.
- Snow blower maintenance
- Sand or salt stockpile for your driveway and other walkways
- Septic system – If you’re due for a pump don’t wait until spring. Get this done now.
- Fire extinguisher. Make sure yours is not expired and if so be sure to replace it. Keep it in an accessible spot.
If you’ve got a local recommendation for services outlined in this post please leave a comment!
