Winter can be a fun season as snow days, skiing activities, and cozy nights fill your future plans. Unfortunately, it’s also a time for many home disasters as one in 15 insured homes file a claim for damage during the winter season. About one in 55 homes reports damage due to water and ice.
Here are some tips to keep in mind for winter home preparation.
Check Your Heating System
Have your air conditioning system check and thoroughly cleaned since it will be pulling double duty during winter. You might also want to have a professional in Orem to repair your water heater, just so your shower won’t flake out on you. There’s nothing worse than showering in freezing water.
Fireplace and Chimney Cleanup
Save on the cost of heating by using your fireplace. Note though that it has to be cleaned beforehand, otherwise you might find yourself dealing with soot and smoke backing through the house. Again, it’s best to have the fireplace cleaned during the summer or when the weather is still fine as it will make the job easier for the workers. Having your chimney cleaned during winter can also be more expensive because it’s peak season for such a service.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Even if you managed to clean the fireplace, it’s still important to refresh the batteries on your smoke detectors. Winter is the most probable time when carbon monoxide will seep into your house. You’ll want to check the batteries of these detectors twice a year, or according to the device’s manual. Also, the National Fire Prevention Association suggests installing nine smoke detectors and four carbon monoxide detectors if your home has three bedrooms, two baths, an attic, and a basement.
Clean the Gutters
The gutter is a repository of all the leaves and debris that fell during autumn. You’d want to make sure all those are removed from the roof because they add to the overall weight of the structure. When snow falls, the added weight might cause further damage to the roof. This will be an expensive repair that you can be easily avoid by simply doing due diligence before winter comes. You may not need to hire professionals; just get a sturdy ladder and start clearing.
Reverse the Fans
Warm air tends to rise while cold air goes down. During summer, this is not a problem but during winter, you might find yourself freezing even with the heat on. A good and cheap solution is reversing your fans so that the warm air stays down, where it is useful. To do this, you should find the reverse option on your fan. You can also probably flip the blades of the fan yourself, but do it carefully. Look for the specific brand of your fan and do a search.
Other pre-winter maintenance tasks include checking the water pipes, cleaning the dryer hose, and trimming the trees to prevent debris from falling on your home. It’s best to do all these things before the first snow falls. That way, all you have to do is sit back and relax when the temperature starts to drop.
