Three Home Maintenance Actions You Need To Take Before Winter

Published On: October 27, 2019|Categories: Blog, Home Sellers, Lawn & Maintenance, Seasonal, Tips, Life Hacks & How-to|Tags: fall home maintenance, home maintenance to do before winter, prepare your home for winter, three must do maintenance for fall|

For any homeowner in an area that experiences cold weather and possible winter precipitation, winter presents some challenges for home owners, and also an opportunity to brush up on some maintenance issue. Homes in good condition have solid upkeep year round, not just before they are sold, and that is reflected in their appearance and rate of material wear. Get the most for your money by maintaining your investment, because a little prevention can save you thousands of dollars later down the road. One of the biggest challenges about winter is the harsh condition of freezing temperatures, which can be hard on a home’s electrical bill and on its pipes. But those aren’t the only issues that need special care.

Three Home Maintenance Actions You Need To Take Before Winter

Seal cracks and crevices
Detach all outside hose and drain water lines
Sweep your gutters and/or chimney

When it gets cold outside, you aren’t the one seeking a warm hearth – so are all the field mice and rats. Unfortunately the carry disease and can present major home destruction (like chewing through electrical wires). The best thing to do is head them off before they ever can access your home – check all doors and windows for proper seal, including anything the size of a dime of bigger. Mice can make themselves fit in really tiny holes! You can caulk areas or use steel wool to stuff crevices with, as rodents can’t chew through it.

Make sure all water hose is detached from outside water sources and hose drained of water and stored in a garage or shed. If not, water left laying in a hose will expand when it freezes and rupture the hose, potentially rupturing the water pipes too, which is much more costly to fix and a risk of damage to your home.

To avoid fire hazards or potential roof leaks, sweep the gutters of all fallen leaves and debris in November, after the last leaves have fallen. This will ensure a clear passage way for winter precipitation that doesn’t cause a backup of moisture into your roof and underlying structures. This small act could save you thousands of dollars. The same is true for hiring a professional chimney sweep if you have a wood burning fireplace – that bit of maintenance could very well prevent a chimney fire that turns into a major destructive event. Take the time now so you can have peace on those cold winter mornings!

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