Winter is hard on homes. It’s when you need everything to work perfectly, all while weathering rain, cold, and pests. With Christmas and other big winter holidays, however, it’s far too common that working professionals become too busy to handle the essential winter maintenance needed to keep their home in tip top condition.
The good news is that you don’t need to do everything yourself. You just need to be a bit organized. You don’t even need to mentally put together a to-do list on your own. Instead, use this one:
1. Bring in Plumbing Maintenance
Plumbing maintenance from trusted brands like Howrah Plumbing can help you fit a bathroom, or maintain your water system. You can easily schedule maintenance check-ups to handle leaky taps, blocked gutters, leaks, or other issues. Point out known issues, or ask them to run a full systems check to ensure everything is working efficiently.
2. Change Your Filters
The next big maintenance activity you’ll ideally want to do twice per year (with once being in winter) is to clean out all your filters. How you do this will depend on the system (air conditioning, HVAC, etc.). If you have radiators, then you may need to flush the system. Either way, the same principle applies: clear out the gunk so that your systems can work as well as possible. This will save you from potential damage, and also might reduce your utilities.
3. Prevent Moisture Build-Up
In winter you likely keep all your windows and doors shut, but this can pose a problem. If you don’t have an efficient enough ventilation system, moisture from showers, cooking, or even cleaning can buildup and cause mold or mildew. While cleaning out filters should improve ventilation, some older homes don’t have a great option other than to simply open up the windows every once in a while (like after a shower) to let the moisture escape and to introduce fresh air.
4. Find (and Seal) Cracks
Now that it’s cold you’ll likely be able to find any gaps or cracks easily simply by feeling around for drafts. You have two options here. One, you can make a note of all the cracks and call a home inspector in to check them. This way, you can learn which cracks and gaps you can fill in by yourself with some calk, and which need a more advanced fix.
Sometimes, the issue is obvious. For example, a door that isn’t fitted properly to the frame can cause a draft. Replacing the door, in this instance, can instantly better seal your home.
5. Winterize Your Garden
You’ll want to winterize your garden even if the average temperatures don’t drop below freezing. In some cases, winterizing can be as simple as cutting back your garden so that there is no growth over your roof or near your windows (which can break off in the wind and damage your own).
6. Check Your Roof
It’s a good idea to periodically check your roof for damage, especially if it’s been more than 10 years since you replaced it. This is how you can spot any issues like missing shingles and have it fixed fast, before it becomes a costly issue.