While it may feel like we are already in the midst of winter, there is still time left to prepare your home for the cold weather to come. By doing a few simple home maintenance tasks, you can avoid potentially disastrous (and pricey) surprises as the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fall. 

Here’s our handy winter home maintenance to-do list: 

Fortify your furnace. 

The best time to check your furnace and change the filter is before it gets cold enough to turn it on, but if you haven’t checked these off your list yet, it’s better late than never! Turn on your furnace and fans to make sure they are working properly and give all vents a good dusting. You’ll also want to replace your furnace filter at the beginning of the season, then again every four months or so (more frequently if you have shedding dogs or cats at home). If your furnace needs professional maintenance – don’t wait. Winter is a busy time so be sure to schedule your appointment with an HVAC company right away. 

Store warm weather equipment. 

Before you fortify your home for the weather, it’s time to put away your summer toys. Unhook and store outdoor hoses; drain gas from, sharpen blades, and store lawnmowers, trimmers, and other outdoor equipment in a dry place; and bring outdoor furniture and potted plants indoors.  

Check your chimney. 

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you are sure to stay warm and cozy this winter. Before you light it up, however, call in a professional chimney sweep to clean and check for debris or critters. Then, make sure your flu can close all the way to prevent cold air from entering your home and keep it closed whenever you aren’t using the fireplace. Also be sure that your chimney cap is properly covering your chimney, in order to keep out rain, debris, and critters.

Prevent burst pipes. 

A burst pipe is one of the worst cold weather disasters a home can experience – not only is it messy and inconvenient, but a burst pipe can cause serious damage to your home. Pipes can burst for two reasons: water in the pipes expanding as it freezes and water building up behind an ice block in a pipe. 

Your first step to avoiding a burst pipe is to ensure all outdoor faucets and water sources are turned off and drained. Then, cover outdoor faucets with foam insulation. 

Inside your home, make sure pipes that flow through unheated areas of your home are properly insulated. Not sure where to start? Call in a home maintenance expert or plumber.

Tend to your roof and gutters. 

Another potential winter home disaster is the buildup of ice on your roof and gutters. When warm air reaches your roof and melts the snow and ice up there, that drainage will run down to your gutters. If your gutters are clogged, that water can refreeze and cause what’s called an “ice dam.” Then, when more water tries to escape, it will continue to get backed up and freeze until it has nowhere to go but back inside your home in the form of a leak. 

There are a couple of things you can do to avoid this vicious cycle. First, make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris and can do their job of directing water away from your home. Then, take steps to ensure warm air does not escape your home and get up into your attic by sealing cracks and gaps around vents, exhaust fans, chimneys, hatches, and light fixtures (and even adding additional attic insulation if needed). 

Finally, take steps to waterproof your roof to guard against leaks. Give Best Handyman a call for installation of snow/ice slides, ice/water shields, and roof heating cables. 

Fill the gaps. 

While you’re sealing cracks and gaps to prevent heat from escaping your home, don’t neglect your windows and doors! Use caulk sealant to fill gaps around windows and weather stripping around all outside doors. These simple steps can save you big bucks on heating and keep you more comfortable throughout the season. 

Prep for all possibilities. 

Winter storms can cause electricity to go out, so be prepared with the tools you need in case this happens. Have flashlights, an alternative heat source (like a wood-burning stove or generator), blankets, fire extinguisher, sand or salt (to melt snow), and a shovel handy inside your home. It’s also smart to keep an extra phone charger that can plug into a generator or an additional, fully charged phone battery in case of an emergency. Having a flashlight, blankets, sand, shovel, and a generator in your car is also a smart move during this unpredictable season. 

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No matter what this winter brings, you can feel confident that you have the right handyman on your side. At Best Handyman, we provide expert home maintenance and repair services to clients in Milwaukee and surrounding communities. Have an issue? Give us a call today.