Getting Your House Ready for Old Man Winter

This post by Paul Denikin originally published here Oct 29, 2018 Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

The cookouts, pool parties, campouts and festivals have all come to an end. But the heat has also gone away, and the bugs are on their way out, too. Now’s the time to get your home ready for winter weather. A few chores will make your home — and your wallet — handle the coming winter with ease.

Owning a home means staying on top of maintenance to prevent more costly repairs down the line. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend your fall season shackled to the house making repairs. Here are the most important ones you need to take care of before the frost starts to bite.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors — These detectors are in place to keep you and your family safe. Carbon monoxide, which is emitted during a fire, will make you sleep even deeper, meaning you won’t wake up to get out of the house. Make sure your batteries are in good working order for the safety of you and your family.
Change your air filter — Your heating and air conditioning system pushes air through a filter, which traps dust and debris, keeping it out of your furnace and the air in your home. But it gets pretty dirty, so you have to replace it regularly. Ideally, you should be doing this monthly, but some filters are made to last three months. Changing the filter will clean the air better and prevent wear and tear on your system.
Touch up paint — Fall is a great time to paint because it’s cooler and the air gets a bit drier. If you have peeling paint outside, moisture could get into the wood or foundation, causing damage. Indoors, paint touch-ups will help keep your home looking clean and and bright.
Clean your gutters — Gutters get full of all kinds of nasty stuff: dirt, debris, animals, etc. When they become clogged, water can’t drain properly, which means ice dams form, potentially causing damage to your roof — an expensive fix. Cleaning gutters isn’t difficult, if your house isn’t very tall. Be careful of climbing a ladder. You can also hire a professional for a reasonable price and he or she will make sure your gutters flow freely.
Insulate your pipes — If your water system includes pipes that are in unheated areas, they’re more likely to become frozen and burst. Make sure these pipes are insulated well. When the temperature gets really cold outside, open your lower kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow your home’s heat to get to the pipes below sinks, and allow your faucets to drip overnight. If you go out of town, keep the heat above 55 degrees. If you go away for an extended time, shut off the water and drain the pipes. Allowing your pipes to freeze and burst means calling a plumber to fix the pipes and potentially flooding your home. This sort of damage can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs.
Clean your chimney — Burning wood in a fireplace or wood-burning stove creates creosote, a residue that coats the inside of the chimney. Creosote is flammable, so that means you can easily have a chimney fire, which can significantly damage your home. Call a chimney sweep to clean and inspect your fireplace before you use it in the fall.If it’s open on the top, get a cap installed to keep out debris and animals. It’s a good idea to make sure you have a good fireplace screen, as well. This will protect your family and pets from accidental burns.

Making sure your home is clean and protected from the weather is an important part of keeping your house safe and cozy for the coming season.

Paul Denikin got into DIY home repair projects after his daughter was born with special needs. His initial efforts were all motivated by the desire to make his home more accessible for her. He learned everything he knows through trial and error and many helpful Youtube videos. He created DadKnowsDIY.com to share some of the great resources he’s come across and to offer home improvement project how-tos and other accessibility information.

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