Winterize Your Home This Coming Fall

| Saturday, October 8, 2011
By Ryan C. Shaw


Spring cleaning happens to be something most people do, but probably only a few people understand what it is to winterize your house. Autumn means winter is around the corner, and you should use the occasion to make sure that your house is ready for it. During fall it really is easier to examine the outside of the home, since the foliage is dying away and you can more easily see if shrubs are attached to the house. Siding is quickly damaged by roots and vines that cling to the surface - even bricks aren't immune - and they should be cleaned off.

Once you're finished watering for the year, you should drain all of the hose, and roll them up to be stored away. The water to any outside faucets should be turned off, so that they can drain and get dry. When you believe that you won't make use of the garden furniture again that year, get it cleaned and stored in a dry place.

In case you have any trees that are still new, and especially those that have not endured a winter, shield them by placing mulch around the base of their stems. All water flow ditches should really be cleared to enable them to cope with any heavy rains. Cold temperature naturally turns one's thoughts to fireplaces. Chimney sweeps tend to be in high demand wih the initial cold spell, so avoid the queue and get in early. You never know how the source of firewood will be, so if you are going to need some, try to locate some in plenty of time. When traveling around rural areas, you may find local people who sell fire wood, without lots of advertising.

Even when you don't utilize a fireplace, make sure that any smoke alarms are working. If you leave your Xmas lights in place for the whole year, check that the cords remain flexible. If you use storm windows, they ought to be fitted. You must verify if any of the weather-stripping has become dried out from the summer's heat and should be replaced.

During the winter months, the windows are still closed most of the time, so make sure that the filters in your range hood are in good working order. Check the land surface around the house to make sure that it still slopes away. When water appears to drain into the downstairs room, or the foundation, that can be bad news for your house. To begin with it can cause wet rot, which in turn could cause dry rot, which isn't something you want in your home anywhere. You ought to look for seepage on a regular basis.

It is apparently inevitable that water leaks come, and the most likely places are the roof, the gutter and down-spouts, and the inside plumbing. If you find any leaks, you should obviously get them remedied. You should protect the air-conditioning units to prevent drafts, while, particularly with older homes, it is worth cladding the exterior pipes. It's really a wise decision to shampoo the floor coverings, since dust is more noticeable in the winter. While you are at it, you might likewise wash the windows.




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