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The year has flown by, and soon, winter will be upon us. You may not think you have to prepare your home for the season, but you should always check a few areas for any issues. You might be surprised at the projects you’ll find. Taking precautions will ensure you won’t face any unwanted surprises.
1. Inspect Your Insulation
Keep an eye out for any old or rotten weatherstripping around your windows, doors and garage. It helps your home retain warmth in the winter, and you’ll notice your heating bill decrease when you add new stripping to problem areas.
2. Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters left untreated at the end of fall can become a massive problem in the winter. You should clear out all the leaves that may gather in your gutters before the snow starts to fall.
Gutters keep water away from your home’s foundation, but they can’t do their job correctly when they’re clogged. Clean them out so they can trap new debris next season.
3. Protect Your Garden
Mulch can help insulate flowers and plants from the winter air, especially when they have shallow roots and are more susceptible to the cold. It can also lock in moisture so your plants can survive in the cold winter air. You’ll want to spread it before frosts start rolling in, so this simple project is a great way to end your fall home improvement checklist.
4. Fix Your Chimney
Before you start your first fire of the season, you should prepare your fireplace and chimney for a few months of use. Make sure to sweep your chimney and check your smoke detectors.
Leaning chimneys mean a weakened structure, which could mean there’s an issue with your home’s foundation. If you notice your chimney leaning or if bricks are loose or chipped, you should find professionals who can adjust and repair it, with or without rebuilding the whole thing.
5. Prepare Outdoor Spaces
Even though it’ll be cold outside soon, you have to look at which spaces you plan to use during the warmer days of winter. If you need any major landscaping finished, you should look into it before the snow starts falling and the cold makes working with machines tricky.
When you clear out your forests to make room for a farm or buildable land, remember to dispose of the green waste responsibly, whether by dumping it in a designated area or burning it.
6. Repair Your Roof
Your roof protects you from the elements, especially the freezing rain and snow that typically come with winter. Moisture may soak through and damage your house if you ignore missing or broken shingles. Replace any you notice are missing, so a slight mishap doesn’t turn into thousands of dollars of water damage.
7. Clean Your Tools
The tools you use during the summer, like your lawn mower or weed wacker, likely won’t see any action during the winter. If they’re covered in dirt and grass from their excessive use earlier in the year, you should clean them now. It can be difficult to remove grime when you break them out again in the spring.
8. Prune Your Trees
Have you spotted any dead branches you’re worried about around your home? Storms can cause problems by knocking them loose, so it’s best to deal with them before they threaten your household. Pruning trees also increases your curb appeal and alters the view from your home.
9. Repair Pavement
If you have cracks in the concrete around your home, you should look at getting them repaired before the winter months set in. You may find it easier to shovel snow when dealing with a flat surface rather than a fragmented one.
Smooth pavement is always safer than cracked or shattered so no one risks injury. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and trusting an expert to repair your concrete is the right way to prepare for winter.
10. Clean The Carpets
Don’t neglect your home’s carpet. Since family members and guests spend more time outside in the summer, they’ve likely tracked in dirt and bacteria. You’ll be inside during the winter, so it’s essential to make sure your carpets are fresh for the coming months.
Removing your outside shoes at the door could reduce the number of dangerous bacteria your household comes into contact with. This will keep you healthier and happier throughout the winter holiday season.
About The Author:
Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded, where he writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Check out @TModded for regular updates!