On cold winter days, freshen up indoor spaces and refresh your spirits too!
February is about getting cozy and taking care of home maintenance tasks while also planning for Spring home improvements. Here are 5 inside and 5 outside items on your Winter Home Preventive Maintenance Checklist.
Owning a home is one of the biggest investments you will make and this is why proper home maintenance is so important. You can enhance your property value, economic age, ensure safety and prevent costly repairs. And if that is not enough, reduce energy consumption and save some money! Your car has a maintenance schedule…i.e. an oil change…so shouldn’t your home too? This February have a peace of mind by following this monthly checklist to keep your home safe.
Ok grab this interior home maintenance list and get going…
Inside: Clean your entrance way from all the grime, road slat and melting snow. While you’re at it clear away the clutter and give your floors a thorough cleaning. I like to set up a tray for my boots with a waterproof mat for underneath. Check your front door. Is it drafty? A space around your door can equal a 6” brick hole in your wall. If you have a drafty door, it’s best to weather-strip the door to stop drafts. If you want to replace your door and check out doors that are energy efficient, click for more information on energy efficient doors.
- Inside: Clean interior windows. It’s too cold to be outside to clean them but you can do from the inside and….bonus, you can add more light by doing so — a little extra vitamin D. While you’re cleaning do you notice any drafts or seal failures? Read this blog for 5 signs it’s time to replace your windows or contact us here to learn more.
- Inside: Conserve energy and stay warm by blocking drafts coming through cracks around doors with door sweeps and keep them shut if you are not using certain rooms. As always, cozy up to throws while on the couch too.
- Inside: Head on over to your local paint store and pick up some paint swatches to help fight those winter doldrums by enhancing your home with color.
- Inside: Inspect you attic and look for:
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- Signs of roof leaks, condensation, mold or frost build up.
- Check to make sure it’s cold up there. If not, you need to add more insulation.
- Do you have enough ventilation? Gable vents, soffits and a ridge vent?
- If not, contact us today to assess your attic for proper insulation and ventilation.
Ok…I know its 5 degrees out so I made a checklist you can complete in less time that an episode of Modern Family. Here is your home maintenance checklist for the outside of your house.
1. Outside: Ice Dam Inspection. Ice dams are caused by a warm roof which is caused by improper insulation and ventilation. But you also need to check your gutters and downspouts. Are they clogged? They are the arteries to your home-flushing water away from your home-not bringing back in to cause leaks and mold issues. Please note that the weight of the ice could detach the gutter. This is dangerous as it can fall on someone. If you have gutters full of ice, contact us to remove your ice dams or for more information on ice dam prevention. It is also not recommended to use steam to melt them as this creates moisture and more ice. Note: Cleaning and/or replacing gutters and downspouts is less expensive than replacing drywall in your entire home.
2. Outside: Check your siding for any gaps or shingles that may have fallen off. Siding is a thermal envelope to your home and should be energy efficient. Learn more about energy efficient siding and how it looks just like wood shingles.
3. Outside: Dryer Duct Exhaust. Go warm up for a bit and go inside and turn on your dryer. Then go outside and check to see if the hot air is making its way outside. Since it’s freezing outside you can see if it’s working since it would look like fog from a 1985 Bon Jovi concert. It’s unsafe for the exhaust to be clogged as the warm air can’t escape causing your dryer to overheat.
4. Outside: Exhaust Survey. Always make sure that snow doesn’t block furnace plastic pipes or your high-efficiency furnace may shut down. Also, check that your oven hood and bathroom pipes are exhausting outside.
5. Outside: Tree Branch Hazards. Bottom line you don’t want a tree to fall on your house.
Okay, I kept you outside for less than 30 minutes. Now go inside, get warm & cozy and go through your pictures on your phone. What do you see? What do you learn? Remember, your house is probably your biggest asset and it should stay that way, right?
If you found this post useful, let me know! Always glad to educate and help!
Tell us: What is on your home February to-do list this?
