With fall weather upon us, and winter creeping up quickly, it is important to be prepared for the changing seasons. For the colder months, especially if you live in an area with cold temperatures, snow, and ice, you want to make sure your home is prepared to handle mother nature. Winterizing your home should be something you plan ahead of time, usually in the fall months before temperatures get too cold. To help you start preparing your home, here’s our recommended fall home checklist and tips for winterizing your home.
Clean and Store your Lawn Mower
After a full spring and summer of using your lawn mower, it should undergo a proper cleaning. Towards the end of the fall season, cut your grass one last time to a shorter than normal level to prepare for the winter months. Then take the time to give the mower a proper clean before storing it away for the winter months.
Make Sure all Cracks are Sealed
It’s important that your home doesn’t have any cracks surrounding doors and windows, especially in the winter months. Having cracks allows cold air to enter your home and create drafts, which in turn makes your heating system work extra hard. Your heating bill will increase due to it having to work extra hard. This is why it’s important to seal up any cracks in your home while winterizing your home.
Clean your Gutters
Gutters are important for directing water and snow away from your home during the colder months. While crossing things off your fall home maintenance checklist, be sure to give your gutters a good cleaning. If there is any sort of blockage or buildup, it can prevent the water or snow from moving freely throughout the gutters and create ice jams which can be damaging to your home.
Clean and Service your Heating System
With temperatures dropping, the time for turning on the heat is right around the corner. Before turning on your heating system for the winter season, it’s important to have it serviced by a professional or at least research how and check it over yourself. Things to consider when servicing your heater is changing or cleaning the filters, lubricating the motor, test the ignition switch, and make sure to follow up with checking any chimneys or fireplaces in the home as well.
Check Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Checking the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home should be at the very top of your fall home maintenance checklist. This should be done frequently throughout the year, but especially right before winter hits and the heat comes on. An effective way to remember to check the batteries is to set a schedule to check them when the clocks go back on Daylight Savings.
Inspect your Roof
Inspecting your roof is another thing to consider when winterizing your home. Make sure the roof is clear of any debris and free from any signs of potential water damage. It’s also a good idea to check for any low hanging branches to be trimmed that could potentially be weighed down with heavy snow or ice causing damage to your roof over the season.
Winterize your Grill
If you have an outdoor grill that you typically use in the warmer months, it’s important to clean and winterize it before the weather drops. Consider coating the metal parts of the grill with cooking oil before storing it away for the winter. This will help to repel moisture and decrease chances of rusting.
Pack Away Outdoor Furniture
Store any furniture that you will not use or that cannot withstand the winter months. Leaving out some outdoor furniture items, can cause them to rust if they are made of metal or other materials. If the actual furniture can be left out, you can leave them. However, remember to take off any cushions to prevent moisture and mold.
Remove Plowing Barriers
Take a walk around the areas on your property that you typically plow during the winter months. Make sure there aren’t any unnecessary furniture items, or other objects, that may get in the way of your plowing path. If there are, be sure to remove them before the snow comes and to store away the items for the season.
Winter Emergency Kit for Home and Car
You should add creating a winter emergency kit for your home and car to your fall home maintenance checklist. In this emergency kit you can include items like flashlights, batteries, hand warmers, matches, blankets, snow brush and ice scraper, jumper cables, canned food, and bottled water. This way, whether you encounter an emergency in your car or at home, you can be prepared.