Winter is here! As temperatures drop, we’d like to remind you of the routine maintenance that should be performed on your home. This maintenance will help lower energy bills during the cold season as well as save you the time, effort, and investment of future home repair.
Keep the home functioning at its best with these home maintenance tasks.
1. Clean or change the furnace and humidifier filters once each month. Keeping the furnace and humidifier filters clean will help the units function more efficiently. You’ll be using them a lot this season!
2. Clean the humidifier two or three times during the winter.
3. Vacuum bathroom bath fan grilles. Vent fans remove excess humidity from your bathrooms and can collect dust and dirt. Keeping them clean will help them operate more effectively.
4. Make sure your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors are working properly!
5. Check your home’s fire escape routes. Make sure all escapes from each room are easily accessible and clear of obstructions. Now is a good time to review your family’s evacuation plan, too!
6. Continue monitoring your home’s humidity levels. Maintaining the correct humidity levels in your home is crucial – too little humidity can cause wood flooring issues, trim/cabinet issues, and nail pops and drywall cracks. The humidity setting on your humidistat should be adjusted depending on the exterior temperature. The more outside temperatures fluctuate, the more often you need to check this setting.
7. Check the roof for ice damming. Ice buildup should be removed as soon as possible.
8. Escaping the cold this winter? Shut off the water main to the entire home before you leave your house for long periods of time. If you’re not leaving for as long but want to turn down the heat, remember to keep your thermostat set to 50 degrees, at the minimum, to keep appliances and pipes from freezing.
9. Take care of your concrete surfaces! Check that the concrete in your driveway, garage, and around the home is not exposed to salt or other harmful chemicals.