Winter Home Preparation

Read More About Home Improvement

* Order ice melter and keep handy to clear walks and porches for holiday guests.
* Get your snowblower ready to go before the snow flies.
* When shoveling snow, avid piling it against the house – the moisture could damage siding and the foundation.
* Be prepared for winter power outages by making sure you have an ample supply of wood for the fireplace, candles and matches in every room and extra batteries for flashlights and radios.
* Give your humidifier some attention this month. Wash the pans, reservoirs, plates or frames with hot water and detergent. To remove lime deposits, add one cup of vinegar per gallon of hot sudsy water or purchase a commercial cleaner.
* Seal off those drafts around leaky doors and windows. Test the existing caulking by poking with a screwdriver or nail – if it cracks, it should be replaced.
* Hot air rises, so turn on ceiling fans in the winter to direct warm air downwards.
* Keep heating ducts clear of furniture and other obstructions to increase heating efficiency.
* Make an appointment to have your chimney cleaned and safety-checked. If the chimney has a bad habit of smoking, ask your chimney expert if a chimney cap would solve the problem. Inside, check the fireplace box for cracks and make sure the damper fits snugly and opens and closes smoothly.
* Avoid burning woods with high pitch contents, such as pine; they produce more soot and that leads to creosote build-up, the main cause of devastating chimney fires.
* Mark your calendar to remind you to check and clean or replace your furnace filters every month during the heating season.
* If the eaves were not cleaned after all the leaves had fallen, have it done before the snow arrives. Dirty eaves contribute to ice damming which can cause expensive roof damage.

Autumn is the time to make sure your roof can handle the load this winter. A little preventive maintenance now can prevent costly roof repairs in the spring, according to Rick Felton, President of Homeservice Club.

"With a little preventative maintenance, you can prevent minor problems from escalating into a major headache in the spring," Felton said. "Minor repairs done now can prevent air and moisture penetration from attacking the structural integrity of your roof, saving you hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars".

Giving eavestroughs a thorough cleaning in the fall, for example, is the best way to prevent ice damming in the winter, he added. Expensive roof damage occurs when moisture is forced up under the roof’s shingles during the freeze and thaw cycles of the winter months. "Our roofing contractors are always busy in the spring, fixing damage and leaks that have occurred because of ice damming," Felton said.

To make sure the eaves are clear, run water from a garden hose into the troughs. If the eaves are doing their job, the water will drain down the downspouts and away from the foundation. The water test also shows if there are any leaks in the gutters.

In terms of your car, keeping your car inside the garage is a major benefit to keeping your engine warm and ensuring that there are no set backs on your way to work early in the morning. It is difficult having to let your car heat up early in the morning and many auto companies in Canada are looking into a solution to this problem.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

For more information visit Toronto Contractors And find out more

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Home Improvement Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Home | Home Improvement

Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready

Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap

New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service