How to prepare your home for the upcoming winter season
Winter is coming! There’s no better time to prepare your home for the upcoming cold season than to get a head start on winterizing your home.
Here’s your ultimate to-do list to tackle before the weather hits below zero and all you want to do is cuddle up next to the fireplace!
Get your fireplace inspected
Nothing beats spending an evening by the fire with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. To ensure you and your family are safe, have the fireplace cleaned and inspected on an annual basis. Look out for any cracks inside the fireplace, and ensure it’s retrofitted with a screen for safety purposes.
Fix cracked in the driveway or pathways
On a nice, warm weekend, spend some time outdoors and carefully inspect each space. Are there a lot of cracks in the driveway? Are the bricks on your home flaking off, creating tripping hazards around your home?
Having your home’s exterior problems fixed before the winter season arrives are essential. When the first snowfall hits your home, the blanket could easily cover any tripping hazards, creating a dangerous situation should you slip and fall.
Icy, cold weather conditions can actually make cracks in the driveway even worse, which means you’ll have a hefty repair bill to pay long after the winter season is over.
Clean the gutters
This may not be the most desirable job on your to-do list, but it’s certainly an important one. The pretty fall leaves coming down from trees can get stuck in your home’s eavestroughs, thus clogging the downspouts and preventing rainwater from redirecting away from your home. When there’s inadequate water drainage, the water has nowhere to go but your basement.
Prevent costly damage from happening to your home by acting now.
Test your smoke alarm
Since you’ll be using your fireplace, now is a good time to inspect your smoke alarm. To make sure it’s in proper working order, use the test button on the unit to see if it’s working. If you don’t hear a sound, chances are good it’s time to replace the unit.
If you have a battery-operated smoke alarm, be sure to change the batteries every six months. This way, you’re always protected in the event of an unfortunate fire.
Have your furnace inspected
The last thing you want is to turn on your furnace on what may feel like the coldest day of winter, only to find that it’s not working. Be proactive and hire a furnace expert to inspect your unit before the winter weather arrives.
Give your outdoor pipes some much-needed insulation
Your home’s exterior pipes and faucets are prone to damage if they’re not protected. To protect your pipes from freezing and bursting, slip on tubular insulation sleeves on them to keep them warm. They’re easy to fit and use, making it an easy DIY job around your home.
Build a mudroom
Chances are good you have a designated space in your home to place dirty winter boots and coats. Proper organization – and a little mudroom – is a great place to house all your winter needs, while keeping the rest of your home free and clear. Who doesn’t need a little extra storage space in the winter, right?
If you love the idea of having a mudroom built – or having extra shelving and living space added into your home to make the winter season a bit easier on your family – consider hiring Grand Project Contracting. We bring a wealth of experience and expertise to every project we work on.
We’ll be happy to help you prepare your home for the winter season. Give us a call today; find out what we can do for you.
