You Asked for Winter Home Maintenance Tipsand Here's What We Recommend

Winter can be a difficult time for homeowners, especially those living in cold climates. The frosty weather can cause damage to your home, leading to costly repairs. To avoid this, it’s important to take the necessary steps to prepare your home for the winter season. Here is our list of home maintenance tips to help you protect your property this winter and keep things running smoothly.

Interior

• Check doors and windows for cracks or leaks and replace weather stripping to prevent drafts.

• Insulate any exposed pipes along exterior walls or in unheated areas.

• Force warm air down into the room by reversing the direction of ceiling fans.

• Ensure smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries are in good condition.

• Get a certified chimney sweep to clean and inspect your wood-burning fireplace, if you have one.

• Creosote and soot can catch fire due to built-up accumulation.

Exterior

• Replace your window screens with storm windows to prevent the cold air from coming through and to reduce heating costs.

• Remove leaves from your roof as they can collect and hold moisture on flat roofs and roof valleys.

• Prevent frozen door locks by spraying powderedgraphite lubricant into each lock.

• Cover and store your patio furniture inside the garage to avoid weather damage.

• Ensure the exterior faucets are turned off so that undrained water in pipes does not freeze as ice expansion can lead to pipes bursting.

Maintaining your home is part of ensuring it retains its value and remains in good condition. By investing time and money into regular maintenance, you can help assure that your home’s value remains intact and that no major repairs are needed in the future.