While we remember the last two winters and the brutal cold they brought with them it’s important to prepare for the upcoming winter to ensure we aren’t caught unprepared. We’ll be thanking ourselves for taking care of some of these tasks while the weather is nice and before we are regretting putting them off.
- Walk your roof now to inspect it for winter. Replacing shingles before they are a problem can save a lot of money and heartache. Remember us when it’s time to start thinking about a new roof.
- Some of the cool mornings we’ve had recently have offered perfect opportunities to test our heat. If it has been awhile since you have scheduled a maintenance for your HVAC unit now would be a great time to do it while contractors might be less busy between summer and winter. Having your HVAC unit serviced now will reveal any issues before you’re dependent on the heat. The service will also include cleaning and lubricating to improve its efficiency requiring less energy. Replace your air filter! For the wood-burning folks: check to make sure critters haven’t moved into your chimney and inspect your flue damper.
- Clean your gutters now while it’s still pleasant out! More leaves will surely fall, but you might be able to wait until you’re on the roof for Christmas lights if you clean your gutters now. Gutters play a very important role for our home. Overflowing gutters can pose a major problem to the waterproofing of a roof, especially if the water begins to freeze. Ice damming occurs as the heat from our attics melt snow and ice from the peaks of our roofing. Water would ideally flow to the gutters, then to the downspouts and away from our homes, but if the water is disrupted it can freeze again and collect in a large heap of ice called an “ice dam”. This area of ice thawing and refreezing can cause major damage to a home.
- Drain gas from your mower or your tools with small engines you won’t be using until the spring. You’ll be sure to remember this when you’re cleaning, or replacing your carburetor next year.
- Lastly, touch up your deck if it needs a fresh coat of sealant. If the weathermen are right and we’re in for the El Nino winter they’re predicting, we’ll supposedly have a lot of snow sitting on our decking this winter.