Homeowner Checklist For Winter Preparedness
Getting your home ready for winter isn’t as fun as shopping for presents or sipping hot cocoa by the fire, but it is just as essential to having a safe and fun holiday season. We’ve put together a quick checklist of items that you can and should do around your home each winter and holiday season to make sure that you’re prepared for everything the winter throws at you and to ensure that your next year will be off to a great start. Read on for all of our ideas, but before you do, we wanted to remind you that you can follow all of our latest news and updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages. If you have any questions or want to learn more about our products, those are great places to look!
Stock Up On Snow Removal Supplies Before It Starts Snowing
As early as possible each year, take a few minutes to do a quick check of your winter snow removal equipment. Is your shovel in good shape or is it dull with lots of pits and cracks? Do you have enough sidewalk salt and sand to last through the season or do you need a top off? While you’re at it, you may also want to inspect your driveway and walkway for any new cracks or gaps and fix them with some all weather polymer concrete crack sealant. Cracks up to a quarter inch can be easily filled in by hand, otherwise, you may want to get a quote from a professional.
Inspect Your HVAC System
Make sure that there are no leaks, damages, or other visible alterations to your home’s heating equipment. Check and change your furnace filter if you haven’t recently and make sure it is properly installed for good measure.
Clean Gutters And Winterize Pipes
You will also want to clean out your gutters before hard freezes really start to set in. While you’re up there, you will also want to inspect your home’s roof for any potential damaged areas, rodent activity, or leaks. Prevention is key!
Winterizing your pipes can be as simple as wrapping outdoor pipes in insulation and taping them up, but you can go all out if you want. We recommend turning off the water supply to your outdoor pipes as well during the winter.
Winterize Your Outdoor AC Unit
Many people don’t know this, but many AC units have a little heater that runs all the time to keep the oil warm in the case. If that is left on all winter, it can add to power bill costs and attract rodents and insects with its warmth. You will also want to cover the top of the unit with a few planks of wood or small tarp (don’t cover the whole unit) in order to prevent debris, water, and other dirt from dropping into your unit’s fan housing.
In Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article. We hope you were able to learn a little something along the way. We here at FAMCO pride ourselves on helping homeowners just like you get the very best out of their home and be able to have time left over to enjoy more time with friends and family. If you have any questions or want to purchase some quality roofing HVAC supplies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can’t wait to hear from you.
