As soon as the weather begins to cool off, it is time for homeowners to start thinking about winterizing their homes. With a little bit of preventative maintenance, you can rest assured that your home will be able to withstand cold temperatures and harsh winter storms.
Inspect the Roof
Your roof is your home's first line of defense against the elements, and it should be thoroughly inspected at least a few times a year. In addition to inspecting the exterior shingles, you should also take a look at your attic to ensure that there is no water damage. As long as you catch the damage early on, it should be fairly easy for a contractor to repair small leaks and cracks. This can help prevent ice dams and water damage from snow on the roof this winter.
Reverse the Ceiling Fans
Many people assume that ceiling fans are just for cooling rooms. They don't realize that they should reverse their ceiling fans during the coldest months of the year. When your ceiling fan is spinning clockwise, it is going to disperse all of the warm air in the room to maintain a consistent temperature. That simple change could end up to 10 percent on your heating costs. You can reverse the direction simply by flipping the switch located around the motor of the fan.
Seal Up Cracks Around Doors and Windows
When the temperature or humidity levels change, small cracks might appear throughout your house. If those cracks aren't addressed, then you could end up wasting money on your energy bills every month. Small cracks around doors, windows, and vents might not seem like much—they may even seem inevitable—but they can let warm air escape your home, forcing your heater to work harder. Fortunately, these can easily be sealed with high-quality caulk and a caulking gun.
Trim the Trees
Trimming all of the trees on your property is another important maintenance step that you shouldn’t ignore. When the first winter storms blow through, damaged tree branches could end up falling onto your home. This could damage the roof, windows, siding, porch, and structural supports of your home, depending on the size of the fallen branches. Additionally, since trees go dormant during the coldest months of the year, this is the perfect time to do some trimming. They’re better able to heal quickly and avoid pests and disease if they’re trimmed while they’re dormant.
Service the HVAC System
This is the time of year when you’re shutting off your air conditioner for the year and getting the furnace ready to turn on. To avoid needing to call for emergency services later when your furnace goes out in the middle of a blizzard or your air conditioning goes out during the first heatwave next year, get your HVAC system serviced.
Your HVAC contractor will be able to carry out any necessary air conditioning maintenance so that problems don’t accumulate during the winter months. It’s often much more affordable to get this taken care of in the off season.
While home maintenance might seem like time-consuming chores, these few tasks could prevent major problems down the road. Some simple maintenance projects could also potentially reduce your heating and cooling bills by thousands of dollars every year.
