Preparing your Home for the Winter Months

For many of us, home maintenance is not on the top of our minds. We’ve compiled a list of things you should be thinking about as the winter season approaches. 

Pier & Beam Foundations often have covers on the vents. Old school thinking was that you should cover the vents during cold months. Instead, you should remove the covers to let it breathe freely to prevent moisture issues beneath your house.

Your sprinkler/irrigation system should be turned off in cold months! If you have a rain sensor, this will detect freezing temperatures and make sure that your system isn’t running if the temperature is below freezing. 

Should I leave my faucets dripping if the temperatures are below freezing? Actually, YES, if it’s going to be really cold for several days. Especially if you have a tankless water heater that is on an outside wall. These tend to freeze, but keeping a slow drip will maintain the water movement. 

Speaking of water heaters, yours should be serviced once a year. Now is a good time! HVAC systems should be serviced twice a year, so now is also a good time for that. While you’re at it, test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors now too.

Cover your hose bibs, have your chimney swept, clean your roof and gutters from debris.

We hope this was helpful and reminded you of a few items to add to your to-do list. If you have any further questions, contact us!