Prepping your home for Winter

Now that fall is officially here, this is the time to make sure you and your home are prepared for Winter! Even those of us in the South! Here are some quick tips….

Test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors

Most house fires happen in the winter. It’s the time of year when we’re turning on the furnace for the first time after it has sat idle for the summer. We are also more likely to have our home closed up tight, so carbon monoxide is a bigger hazard if you have a fuel fired (non-electric) heating system. Having an HVAC inspection will also ensure your furnace and gas-fired water heater are properly vented, which is the most likely source of carbon monoxide in your home.

Clean your chimney

Regardless if you have gas logs or a real wood burning fireplace, have it cleaned and inspected before you start using you gas logs or building those cozy fires in the next couple of months. A good chimney sweep company will make sure the fireplace is safe to use, and it can also identify maintenance problems.

This is also the time to stock up on firewood. Take the time to stack and cover that wood in a good location in the yard (not against the house). Make sure that old firewood isn’t rotten and move it away from your home.

Clean your gutters

Once the leaves are pretty much off the trees, it’s time to clean those gutters. When your gutters back up, they overflow, and water runs down your home, speeding up the deterioration of your exterior. It can also lead to deterioration of your foundation, water infiltration in the basement and settling under your concrete porches and walks, which creates all kinds of problems.

Check your trees

Before all of the leaves fall, take a look at your trees and make sure they’re still healthy, especially trees that could fall on your home or a neighbor’s home. Don’t think a dying tree will be obvious. Sometimes you really won’t notice, especially if you have a lot of trees. Fall isn’t a good time to trim your trees, but if there are branches up against your house, it’s a good idea to trim them away before winter so you don’t have ice-coated branches against your siding or windows.

Make sure your attic doesn’t become a critter hotel

It’s going to get cold out and your attic is the perfect winter home for squirrels and birds. These critters can cause a lot of damage and potentially some health problems. Make sure your trees are trimmed well away from the house, and make sure your gable vents are intact. It’s a good idea to tack a screen up behind your gable vent just in case. Also walk around your home and look up at your soffit and fascia. Make sure there are no holes that will allow birds to get in.

Do a quick energy audit

If you’ve never had one, a professional energy audit is a good investment. But fall is also a good time just to check your door seals. Make sure you’re not seeing daylight around your exterior doors and take a can of spray foam insulation and fill in around those drafty outlets and light switches.

Prepare for snow removal

Dig out the snow blower and fire it up before the big one hits. Make sure it’s ready for that snowy morning. If it’s not, have it repaired now. Also take inventory of your salt and shovel situation. You know you won’t be able to find a shovel after the big snowstorm hits.