Preparing Your Home For Winter

                                                                             Gutters

 Clean gutters before winter hits but make sure to do it after most of the leaves have dropped.  Melting ice and snow is forced under your shingles and into your home when your gutters are clogged and creates something called an ice dam. Water seeping into your home from ice dams can cause mold and water stains. Also ice build up in gutters can cause them to sag or pull away from your home.  Ensure all downspouts are attached and in good condition. 

Chimneys

Before winter, you need to make sure the fireplace is ready to use. The last thing you need is for your fireplace to cause unwanted fires in other areas of your home. Hire a chimney sweep to remove dangerous soot and debris. Inspect structure for loose bricks, deteriorating/missing mortar, and lining cracks. Inspect the glass door, gasket sealing the door, and the ash dump. Replace if necessary. If any of these are improperly working, your fire could receive too much oxygen causing an over-fire condition. Check the damper that regulates air flow inside the chimney, ensure it is functioning properly before using the chimney. Properly cap the chimney to prevent unwanted objects or pests from entering. Replace/repair damaged or missing caps. Get/prepare firewood. Pieces should be no larger than 6in in diameter and have a moisture reading of 20% or less when tested with a moisture meter. Dense, seasoned wood is best such as oak. Green and softwoods produce more creosote that can build up in your chimney. Do NOT overload the fireplace! Large fires give off more smoke. Large, high heat fires can also crack the chimney lining.

Home Heating

The average life of home heating systems is about 12-15 years. Maintenance effects the life of your home heating system. Contractors can spot subtle flaws of chimneys, vents, and flues. Limit or over-temperature switches should be inspected. Inspectors should check pilot safety switches on both gas and oil systems. Poor heater exchange can cause poor heat efficiency, so check the heat exchanger. The internal area of the furnace should be cleaned. A lot of soot can mean the home heating system is not firing properly. If the nozzle is inspected and is found to be dirty, it should be replaced. Filters should be checked. Clogged filters reduce efficiency and absent filters can cause system failure or reduced efficiency. Forced-air heating systems need the motor and fan cleaned. Bearings will need lubricated. The drive-belt alignment, performance, and condition should be checked. The contractor will need to inspect the condition of the duct work or the piping for hot water systems. Water separators, filters, and fuel-line pressure need checked in oil systems. In LP gas systems, the inbound line is the most important to check. The thermostat should be checked to verify it is recording an accurate temperature. 

Exterior Wood Trim

Re-caulk exterior wood trims around doors and windows. If the condition of the wood is severe, consider hiring a professional to make necessary repairs. Severe conditions would include rotting wood trim or very large gaps and cracks. Wood is naturally porous allowing moisture to be absorbed. Moisture in the wood can freeze in winter and expand which can cause the wood to crack or create mold and mildew. Moisture damage wood over time will rot and soften. Pressure wash exterior wood. Repair wood splits with wood filler, paint or stain. Paint is thicker than stains/seals but only protects the wood's surface, stain penetrates the wood pores providing deeper and better protection. Most stains also have UV protection. You can also test your deck's protection level by pouring water on it and watching to see if the water beads up or if the wood absorbs it. If the water beads up, your deck is well protected. If it absorbs, it is time to pressure wash and seal the deck. 

Foundation

Check for low spots around the exterior of your home's foundation. Low spots can cause water to pool around your foundation. Fill any low spots with soil to prevent water puddles near your home. Check the foundation for cracks. Check brick or stone facade for mortar cracks. Seal with mortar or expanding foam filler. Clean gutters and proper downspouts can also prevent water from puddling around your foundation.

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. In the winter there is a reduction of ventilation which can lead to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the home. The risk of fire is always a concern as well. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on each floor of your home and should cover all sleeping areas. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly to ensure proper function. Replace improperly working detectors immediately. Both should be replaced every 10 years to ensure proper function as well. Replace the batteries to your detectors every year or before if the alarm chirps. Clean detectors on the grille regularly. If the grille becomes clogged it may not properly detect smoke or carbon monoxide. 

Outside Spigots

Temperatures dipping to 28 degrees or below can cause freezing to exposed outdoor faucets. Frozen pipes can rupture inside the walls. Hundreds of gallons of water can affect the structure of your house and your possessions. Drain outside faucets before winter. Remove hoses or connections to the external spigot. Inside your home shut off the water valve to the outside spigot. Go outside and open the outside spigot valve to drain the water out. Inside remove the bleeder cap to drain remaining water, catch the water with a bucket. Replace the bleeder cap and close the outside faucet. 

Gable Vents

Make sure gable vents are in place. You can also have screen tacked up behind gable vents as added protection to prevent critters from sheltering in your attic for winter.

Exterior Doors

From inside check for daylight around exterior doors. If daylight shows through, add weather stripping. Add a draft guard between the bottom of the door and the threshold. Reapply caulk where the door frame meets the drywall inside your home. The same needs to be done outside where the frame meets the siding. 

Roof

Have your roof inspected. Any repairs needed should be performed before winter. The roofing professional will look for missing/damaged shingles, sunken areas, bent/rusting flashing, dirty or poor conditions of the roof valley, dried/cracked sealant, animal infestation, algae growth, tree damage etc.

Windows

Re-caulk around windows. Clean and store window screens. Install storm windows. Install weather stripping. Put window film over windows. 

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans should spin clockwise in winter on low speed. The clockwise direction creates an updraft that helps move warm air that may be trapped near the ceiling(hot air rises) back out and around the room. This can be the most helpful for vaulted ceilings but helps all ceiling types. This helps your heating unit run less often.