The thing about winter maintenance of your home lies in the fact that it’s a topic that you need to think about before the winter arrives. Once the temperatures start falling below zero, it will become nearly impossible for you to do anything. Having a major heating system repair or an insulation project mid-winter is a futile effort, not to mention that the rest of your property may already suffer from consequences. In other words, you need to spend your spring, summer, and autumn thinking about winter and preparing for it. Here are four simple tips to help you out in this regard.
1. Insulate and seal holes
The first thing you need to keep in mind, comes the winter, is preparing your home to be as energy-efficient as possible. This is important for two major reasons. The first one concerns your budget. You see, the more energy-efficient the place is, the cheaper it is to keep it warm. The second one is the question of lifestyle quality. With poor insulation and holes in your home’s system, you’ll have a hard time reaching certain temperatures, regardless of your heating system. In order to improve on these two major issues, you need to do two things. First, study the ways in which heat leaves your home and insulate these critical points. Second, inspect your home in order to see if there are any cracks in the system.
2. Winterize outdoor plumbing
Another crucial issue that you need to focus on ahead of time is winterizing your outdoor plumbing. If any of the outdoor fixtures are malfunctioning, you should probably examine them or contact Dylsal Plumbing to tend to them. Other than this, you might want to shut off the valve controlling these outdoor fixtures (it’s not like you’re going to take that backyard shower or irrigate your garden during winter). After this, you should let all the water from the plumbing system run out of the pipes and fixtures. By keeping your plumbing system dry, you’re avoiding a scenario in which the water inside them freezes and causes some serious damage.
3. Clean your gutters in time
The third thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that winter is the time of the year where the likelihood of a downpour or snow is substantially larger. Once this snow starts melting, your home’s drainage system will be put to a proper test. Now, in order to get to the drainage (and avoid overflowing your basement/drowning your garden), you need to keep your gutters clean and well-maintained. Ideally, you would clean your gutters twice per year (in spring and autumn). This is just one of the examples of how being proactive can help you out in the long run.
4. Tend to your heating system
Finally, you might want to check the heating system before you actually need to use it. Keep in mind that not all heating systems require the same amount of maintenance. For instance, if you have a wood stove, you might have to clean the chimney, as well as clean the stove itself on a regular basis. With some other systems, merely checking if they’re functional is the way to go. Any repairs on the heating system are not your average DIY project, which is why they should be entrusted to professionals. This is especially true for an electric or a gas stove, which can pose a substantial risk if their repair is handled by a layman.
In conclusion
Naturally, this is far from everything there is to do. Comes the winter, you might want to defrost your driveway and garden path, as well as clean them regularly. A reliable gutter should protect you from icicles, for the most part. Of course, shoveling the snow is just one of the creative ways for you to do your cardio during winter. Fortunately, with these several tips on your side, you should be ready comes the next winter. If you need help, check market tree service providers.
Author bio
Ayla Anderson is an avid reader and an enthusiastic blogger who writes articles on home improvement, business, Family, and beauty. She is also an MBA student who spends much of her time giving advice to newly small businesses on how to grow their businesses. You can follow me on https://twitter.com/Ayla55489508
1 Comment
Homieholds
March 20, 2020 - 4:45 pmHome maintenance can feel like a daunting chore — particularly for a new homeowner who’s never seen a boiler up close, let alone drained one. But it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. A home operates with the seasons, coming to life in the spring and hunkering down for the winter. Follow this natural arc all year long, and keep on top of the small stuff, and your house will run like a well-oiled machine.