A checklist of tasks to prepare your home for the winter.
The temperature is dropping, and daylight is dwindling. That can only mean one thing: fall has fallen. While it’s easy to cozy up indoors and hibernate, now is the perfect time to prepare your home for the cold weather. Here are 11 simple maintenance tasks you should take care of before the onset of winter:
1. Clear off and cover outdoor furniture. Brush away any dead leaves or debris, and cover them up to protect them from heavy rain, snow, and frost.
2. Cover up vulnerable plants. Not every plant will need to be covered, but the more delicate, tropical ones will; they’re susceptible to the cold. If they’re small and portable, bring them inside, and if not, cover them up.
3. Turn off your outdoor faucets and irrigation systems. Make sure no water is left dripping or running, which could lead to water damage from frozen pipes. Remove any hoses and drain the water from your systems before shutting them off.
4. Clear your gutters. Gutters will quickly build up with leaves from fallen trees around this time of year.
5. Drain the gas from your lawnmower. Any gas left in your lawnmower will expire while it’s stored over the winter, and you’ll have to empty it out unless the gas contains preservatives.
6. Make sure your generator has fresh gas. You’re lucky if you have a generator, but they only work if you have fresh gas.
7. Insulate your home. Insulating your home, including the water pipes, not only keeps you warm, but it prevents damage like peeling paint and burst pipes. Insulating can be as simple as investing in some thicker curtains and foam tubes to cover up the water pipes. It will also save you money by reducing the amount of energy it takes to heat the house.
8. Ensure your home is well-ventilated. This includes humid rooms like the bathroom; you don’t want mold growing on your walls during the winter months.
9. Service your furnace. Your furnace is the last thing you want to break down over the next few months, so have someone come check it out to ensure that it’s working properly.
10. Clean your fireplace. If you have a wood-burning fireplace and plan to use it this winter, get any loose ashes with a broom and shovel. If you have a brick hearth, scrape away the excess ash with a wire brush or sponge, then spray and clean the bricks with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. It’s good practice to check the roof as well, in case fallen branches are blocking the chimney. Have a chimney sweep come clean out the inside of the flue to remove any soot and residue that may have built up.
11. Cover your air conditioner. If you have central AC, it’s a good idea to cover up the outdoor section with a tarp or some other protective covering. Just make sure that you don’t run it after you’ve covered it up. If you have a window unit, remove it and store it for next year.
These are just a few things that you can do now to prepare your home for winter. If you’d like more tips or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via phone or email. I’d love to hear from you.
