Get Ready for Winter With Our Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Your home is a major investment, so you need to take care of it. There are certain seasonal tasks that will prevent a lot of problems later, like burst pipes, a leaky roof, and high energy bills that come from drafty doors and windows. Baker Residential is ready to help you get ready for winter with our fall home maintenance checklist. 

Start at the top.

No one wants to deal with roof repairs in the dead of winter. Before the temperature drops too low, protect your home from the possible problems that could be lurking overhead.

• De-clutter your gutters. The purpose of your gutters and downspouts is to drain water so it doesn’t back up and seep into your home. Over the spring, summer, and fall, those gutters have probably collected quite a bit of debris—sticks, branches, misguided balls and toys, and maybe a bird’s nest. Think of that mess like a beaver dam. The backed-up water has to go somewhere! Put on heavy work gloves and climb the ladder to remove everything.
• Inspect your roof. While you’re up on the ladder, take a good look at your roof. Are there any missing, cracked, or damaged shingles? If so, get those repairs done now, before winter’s cold and snow finds it way inside your home.
• Check your chimney. If you use a wood-burning fireplace, highly flammable creosote could build up in your chimney, which is one of the major causes of home fires. Hire a professional to inspect and clean your chimney before you start using it for the season.
• Unblock the soffit vents. Like your gutters, the soffit vents have a job to do. They provide attic ventilation, letting the hot air out. When the vents are blocked by insulation, branches, or other debris, your roof becomes too warm. The result is melting snow that forms ice dams on the roof.

Secure the doors and windows.

These barriers between your home’s interior and exterior can be a major drain of wasted energy. Stay comfortable this winter by following two simple prep steps.

• Check for drafts. Inspect the caulking and weatherstripping around all of your exterior doors and windows, as well as exterior faucets. Re-seal any cracks.
• Swap out the screens. If you have screen windows or doors, replace them with storm windows and doors. 

Tend to your heating system.

You’re soon going to rely on your heating system for many months. Make sure it’s ready to turn up the heat when you are.

• Have your furnace inspected. Every year, you should have a professional thoroughly check and clean your furnace. They might find minor issues that are easily corrected before they become major ones.
• Clean and replace air filters. Indoor air quality is a bigger concern in the winter, when you’re spending more time inside your home. With all the efforts made to create an airtight home, you need clean air filters that don’t blow in accumulated dust and bacteria.

Winterize your yard.

Spend a little time putting your yard to bed for the winter and it will be a lot easier to revive everything when spring returns.

• Fertilize the lawn. You should fertilize twice a year, in spring and fall. The top layer will be dormant in the winter, but the root systems are still active. Fertilizer feeds the key nutrients that keep your grass safe in the cold weather.
• Rake it all in. Decaying leaves are not great for your lawn or garden. Rake up and remove everything, and you’ll also enjoy a clean start when the spring thaw comes.
• Prune trees and shrubs. Trim off the dead limbs and any overgrown areas. This will promote healthy growth in the spring and prevent dead branches from gathering in your yard over the winter. Be sure to cut back limbs that are close to your home. They could present a hazard with heavy winds. 
• Disconnect exterior hoses. Aside from the damage the cold weather does to your hoses, the water that remains in them can freeze and lead to burst pipes. Remove all hoses, flush them out, and keep them in the garage or basement for the winter. 
• Protect your irrigation system. Flush out the water that’s sitting in your system.  Remove and store all sprinkler heads that could be damaged by snow plows and heavy snow cover.
• Inspect the foundation. Walk around your home and check the condition of the foundation. Seal any cracks that could allow water or small rodents to creep inside. Then, move the soil next to the foundation so that it slopes away from the house, keeping water out of your basement.
• Winterize your mower. You’re probably quite anxious to park your mower in the deep recesses of your garage for the winter. Before you put it to rest, drain the gas that’s left in the tank. If you prefer to leave the gas in the mower, add a gas stabilizer to the tank and run the engine to circulate the treatment, which prevents moisture from condensing inside the tank. Finally, clean the exterior and keep the mower in a dry area. 

Be safe.

There’s one very simple step that could save lives this winter.

• Replace the carbon monoxide and smoke detector batteries. You can change the batteries any time of year, but if you include this task in the things to do to prepare your home for winter, you won’t forget. You should have detectors on every level in your home and in each bedroom. It’s better to be cautious!

As winter approaches, protect your home and family. Invite everyone on the household to take part in these steps so they appreciate the importance of prevention.

If you’re looking for a new home where the winter isn’t quite so harsh, consider Cary, NC. Baker Residential is building luxury homes here, in our distinctive community of Providence at Yates Pond. Talk to us to learn more about the plans for this neighborhood and the new construction homes that are move-in ready right now.