Getting your home winter ready means more than just switching out the light blankets to heavier comforters on the bed and making sure to have plenty of salt and snow shovels to deal with the outdoor walkways. You also have to prep your home’s systems for winter. The five main aspects to focus on include the furnace, chimney, gutters, windows & doors, and alarm systems. By taking care of these items, you’ll ensure your home will be safe, warm, and leak-free for the entire winter season.
Furnace Inspection
Your furnace will run for long hours, day and night, during the colder winter months. In time, components may become worn out due to the daily wear and tear, become dirty, and be less efficient. Have the furnace inspected for issues and the ducts cleaned to make the system efficient. Also, replace the dirty filters with clean ones.
Check for Drafts
Drafts from windows and doors decrease the efficiency of your furnace system. When a draft comes in, the furnace stays on longer to reach the set temperature. So you end up wasting more on utility bills due to a drafty home. Check for drafts around windows and doors. You can use caulk around leaky windows and place down a rolled towel by the door to prevent drafts. Additionally, consider investing in storm windows and doors to help with drafts and increase your home’s efficiency.
Clean Gutters
You may be the type of person who holds off cleaning the gutters until after the last leaf falls from the tree. Do keep in mind that winter weather can appear before a tree has shed its foliage. So pick the right time to remove all the dead leaves, dirt, muck, tree branches, and other obstructions.
Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
With the cold temperatures outside, people are running their furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, and space heaters full time. Unfortunately, many of these systems prove to be fire hazards or may create dangerous carbon monoxide if not properly vented. In case a problem occurs, you want the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms working to warn you about these dangers. Test the alarms, replace weak batteries, and purchase new ones if the old ones aren’t working properly.
Chimney Inspection
Chimney fires are a dangerous issue that may occur in the winter. Obstructions and built-up creosote may catch fire inside the flue. Have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a certified professional. Then check for leaks that could allow in water or prevent the chimney from properly drafting the smoke.
There are many ways to get your home ready for the winter. Cut down on the to-do list by contacting the professionals at Brandstetter’s KangaRoof for that chimney inspection and gutter repair if needed.
