Fall Means It Is Time For Your Home To Be Winterized



by Lee Jackson


Everybody has heard about spring cleaning, but not many people know what it means to winterize your home. Once autumn arrives you need to inspect your home's readiness for the upcoming winter. At this time of year, with the leaves dying out, inspecting the house is easier, so you can tell if any shrubs are hanging onto the house. Clinging vines and plants roots harm siding and in many cases bricks, so it is good to keep them cleaned off.

If they are no longer needed to do any watering, the hose should all be emptied and rolled up to be put into storage for the winter. The water source to faucets outside the house must be cut, after which these can dry out. Whenever you believe you won't make use of the garden furniture once more that year, get it cleaned and stored in a dry place. It is best to protect any young trees you've got with mulch, particularly in their first year of growth. All water drainage ditches really should be cleared so that they can cope with any heavy rains.

Winter naturally leads one's thoughts to fireplaces. Masonry sweeps are in high demand wih the first cold spell, so avoid the queue and get in early. You never know how the supply of firewood will be, so if you are going to need some, try to locate some in plenty of time. Try outlying areas when it's convenient, where natives may sell firewood without the cost of advertising. No matter if you employ a fireplace in the winter, you should check all of your smoke alarms to make sure they are working. If you leave your Christmas lights up for the whole year, check that the cords continue to be flexible. If you use storm windows, they should be set up. Weather-stripping dries out with the warm temperatures, so they might all need to be replaced.

Over the winter, the windows are still closed most of the time, so make sure that the filters in your range hood are in good working order. Do a examination of the ground-slope all around the house, ensuring that it falls away from the walls. You wouldn't want the difficulties associated with water getting into the basement or the foundation. First it could cause wet rot, which in turn could cause dry rot, which isn't something you want in your home anywhere. You ought to check for seepage frequently.

Water leaks cannot be kept at bay forever, so check the places where leaks most commonly occur, these being the roofing, the guttering, the downpipes and the interior plumbing. It's a given, but every one of the leaks must be repaired. It is best to protect the air-conditioning equipment to prevent drafts, while, particularly with older homes, it is worth cladding the exterior pipes. It's a wise course of action to shampoo the carpets, since dust is more noticeable in the winter. You should use the time to wash the windows.




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