Fall Home Preparations

Tuesday Sep 29th, 2015

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Fall Home Preparations

Protect Your Most Valuable Asset!!!

Fall may just be starting with its bounty of apples and pumpkins and the beauty of changing leaves, so Winter is still a distant thought, right? Our memories of the lazy, hazy days of summer are just fading, but believe it or not, Fall is the perfect time to think about those not too distant windy and snowy days…. Now’s the time- when you’re warm and relaxed and cozy inside your weather protected home- to give a thought (or two) to what lies ahead.

The following are a couple of quick, low-cost checks to ensure that you’re winter ready. (Always better and more comfortable to check these things in temperate Fall weather rather than in a snowstorm when your furnace stops working!)

Replace worn weather stripping and recaulk

Check for cracked or worn weather stripping around doors and windows: this is where cold air seeps in!

Check for worn caulking: remove it and recaulk with moisture resistant caulking. For a pretty humble renovation item, this comes with big rewards: if you reduce cold air entry points to your house, you can help lower your heating bill.

Paint touch ups

Inspect for blistering or raised paint; this signals that the paint is failing and can no longer protect your house and can in turn lead to possible water damage.

Change Direction of Ceiling Fans

By changing the direction of your ceiling fan from its summer setting of counter-clockwise to clockwise, you’ll create an upward draft. The warm air will now be directed back down to the main areas of your room instead of your ceilings. If you’re warm and snug on your couch, you’ll not be as likely to turn up that thermostat. Every degree counts. Save up for that winter beach vacation instead of spending it all on your heating bill!

Check and fix exterior lights and bulbs:

With dark, early mornings upon us and light summer evenings behind us, you’ll want to know that your home is well lit for all your comings and goings on potentially icy approaches in the dark.

Check your roof:

Inspect your roof for loose or missing shingles. Your roof is your home’s first line of defence; without it functioning as a proper barrier, you can incur costly water damage.

Best to discover a potentially leaky roof on a crisp Fall day than in the middle of an ice storm!

Furnace tune up

Have your heating system checked annually by a licensed professional! Your furnace will use fuel more efficiently, last longer and have fewer problems if serviced properly and regularly. Remember to replace your filters on a regular basis. Dirty filters mean that your furnace has to work harder to push out heat and that costs you more. Remember, you have that beach vacation to save for, help your furnace work more efficiently!

 

Put some time aside now during a couple of Fall weekends for these preventative measures and you’ll still have time for apple picking and be able to avoid that weekend at the in-laws when your furnace stops working on that coldest night in January  during that record setting cold snap!


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