Start getting ready for winter by raking leaves and showing your home some love!
It’s been a stunning fall so far but we know what winter will bring! Not only do we need to get out our winter coats, gloves, warm clothes, and shovels, but we need to get our homes ready for winter, too. At RDS, your home design specialists, we’ve been discussing what we need to do to our homes this fall so that we aren’t caught off guard when cold weather really arrives.
Download our Winter Ready Checklist here. Use this handy checklist to make sure you’ve done everything you can to have your home ready for winter.
What should you be doing to get your home ready for winter?
Furnace:
One of our first Front Porch Friday videos was all about furnace filters. View it here for everything you need to know about them. It’s important to get your furnace serviced, the filter changed, and tested for any leaks. A yearly furnace checkup could save you from a really cold night.
Clean Up:
The leaves are falling and we’re busy raking. (Make sure to mow or mulch some of them into your lawn to give it some much-needed nutrients.) But don’t forget to clean out the gutters once the leaves are down in order to prevent overflowing gutters when it rains or ice build-up when it’s cold.
To avoid a slippery scenario, keep leaves cleared off walkways, the driveway, and decks.
Is your chimney clean? If it hasn’t been cleaned in a while, especially if it is wood burning, now is the time. Experts suggest having them inspected yearly.
Cover outdoor furniture or move it indoors after cleaning it.
Take soil out of the pots that you keep outside or bring them inside. The soil can freeze, expand, and crack your pots.
Do you need to trim branches from trees and bushes that could be affected by wind, snow, and ice? This is especially important if they are near your home. Wait until they are dormant to trim them so that you don’t hurt the plants.
A Little Prevention:
Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and check your fire extinguishers (the pressure gauge needle should be in the green area).
Do your flashlights need new batteries? Be prepared! It’s going to be dark longer so you’ll want plenty of working batteries in case of a power outage.
Take a hard look at your fireplaces, furnace, and any other types of heaters you use. Is the area around them clear and free of anything flammable?
Reverse the blade flow of your ceiling fans so they run clockwise, creating an updraft and pushing the heated air down into your rooms.
Disconnect outdoor hoses and store them in the basement, shed, or garage. Drain the outdoor faucets and cover them with hose bib covers. Don’t forget to have your lawn irrigation system winterized.
If your roof and shingles are older, have them inspected for cracks, leaks, and damage to flashing seals around chimneys and vent stacks.
Winter will be here before we know it, but now you know what to do. So get out those warm, snuggly blankets, find your slippers, and heat up the hot chocolate. And if you’re ready to design a new home or remodel part of your existing home, we’d love to create it for you.