The winter season is not far from now and it would tremendously help you when you know what to do before it starts and during it. This is the season where your regular outdoor tasks become non-existent, well, except for plowing snow. In this guide, we’ll help you zero into the most important tasks to do before the upcoming cold and freezing days.
Winter is Coming: Home Maintenance Checklist
With the onset of winter, it can bring snowstorms of varying intensities. How your home can fair in the harsh weather depends on how well you prepared it. Who would want to stay in a home where the heating system is malfunctioning? Or who could you get out the thick pile of snow on your driveway if you don’t have the equipment? Preparedness and responsiveness are the keys to prevent disasters.
Get a snow blower.
After a snowstorm, you can only see white everywhere and the deposited snow would several inches thick, and it’s blocking the pathway. A mere shovel won’t do the job quickly. You would want to invest in getting a snow blower powered with gasoline. If you already have one, do an initial maintenance before it snows.
Protect the pipes.
In extremely cold temperatures, the pipes located in various parts of your house can freeze. Pipes can burst leading to permanent damage and uncontrolled leaking. To prevent those, turn on the faucets and let the outgoing water drip slowly. In another scenario, pipes that are located out of your reach like in attics and ceilings should already have extra insulation.
Watch out for icicles or ice dams.
In winter, ice can accumulate along the gutters of your roofing and can cause damage. Ice becomes heavy in large volumes and may leak into your house through the damaged parts once it melts.
Thus, it’s imperative for you to regularly check for ice dams or icicles that appear. Also, get a roof rake so that you can regularly plow the fresh snow from your roofing before those become troublesome.
Stow your mower.
The mower you used during fall season should be completely drained of gasoline. Otherwise, the contents inside will decompose and will make it harder for your equipment to start. Furthermore, using it is not a good idea as it could damage the engine at startup.
Stock up your supplies.
Power outages come with severe winter storms, and so you must be prepared with the worst. Have the first aid supplies, flashlight with fresh batteries, radio, food and water supplies, etc. stored in one place so that it will be easy to locate them.
Regularly check your heating system.
During winter seasons, this becomes the most vital equipment inside your house (unless you have a fireplace). A broken or malfunctioning heater can become disastrous. Thus, if you notice that a part of your house is colder than the rest, do a quick check on your equipment or have a professional do it for you. Also, clean and change the air filters every month during the cold months to maintain efficiency.
Conclusion
Indeed, during winter, all we want to do is to enjoy staying indoors drinking hot chocolate or hot coffee. But one can only truly enjoy the season when they aren’t guilty of being unprepared.