Winter is on the horizon. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. Soon, snow and frigid temperatures will have many in the Midwest staying at home much more than they had during the summer. Before it gets too unbearable outside, it’s important homeowners are preparing their homes for the winter months ahead!
At ServiceOne, we offer a variety of home installation, maintenance and repair services. From HVAC to plumbing, our team can help you solve any number of issues. Are you ready for a Midwest winter? Below, we go over some winter home maintenance tasks every homeowner should do before the cold weather moves in.
Clean out your gutters
Throughout the Midwest, the leaves have been falling like crazy. Before the snow and ice come this winter, it’s essential to clean out your home’s gutters. There are often clumps of leaves, sticks and other debris that have accumulated throughout the spring, summer and fall! If you do not clear your gutters out before the winter, you are risking ice dams, and clogged and sagging gutters, all of which can be expensive to repair.
Protect your plumbing pipes
Another winter home maintenance task all homeowners will want to do before the cold weather moves in is protect their plumbing pipes. During the cold winter months, your home’s pipes are susceptible to freezing, which in turn can create a plumbing disaster and lead to very expensive repairs. By making sure that your home’s plumbing pipes are properly insulated, you can minimize the risk of this happening this winter!
Inspect your fireplace and chimney
It’s important to have your fireplace and chimneys inspected before the winter months, especially in older homes. During the year, your home’s chimney can become filled with leaves, sticks and other debris, which in turn can create fire hazards and less energy efficiency when you use your fireplace. By having your fireplace and chimney inspected, you will ensure that everything looks good. This can also help reduce the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning as well.
Seal cracks
Another important thing to remember to do before the winter weather arrives is to seal any cracks or air leaks around your doors and windows. Not doing so can result in colder temperatures and less energy efficiency. So, in order to keep your home warm and your energy costs low, it’s a good idea to get this done soon.
Change your air filter
Lastly, right before the winter months is one of the best times to change your home’s air filter! This is something that should be done every three months or so, and doing so before winter will ensure that your home’s air is clean all season long, as well as help improve the efficiency of your heating system.
As we move closer to colder weather, there are many things homeowners need to be doing to stay prepared all winter long. Use this winter home maintenance guide to ensure your home is prepared for the winter months ahead and reduce the risk of costly repairs.
At ServiceOne, we offer a variety of home services to help you stay comfortable in your home all year long. Give us a call today to learn more about what we do!