Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Date: January 27, 2021

Now that we are in the heart of winter, you may want to give your home a little extra attention during these colder months. From proper driveway care to giving your laundry room a little extra attention, there are so many home maintenance tasks for you to do this winter.  When you find yourself looking for something to do on the weekends, consider doing a small home project to help your home this winter!

Take Care of Plumbing

For outdoor plumbing, start with any plumbing that can affect indoor pipes. Disconnect and drain garden hoses, as well as all other outdoor connections. Close shutoff valves leading to outdoor faucets and drain the lines to eliminate the potential for freezing.

For your indoor plumbing, you’ll want to check the following:

• Insulate Pipes: Pipes in unheated spaces that are vulnerable to freezing should be insulated with foam insulation, insulation tape, etc. Call a plumber for assistance.

• Seal Air Leaks: In addition to insulating pipes, sealing air leaks that may expose pipes on outside walls to cold drafts is a good idea. Think of the basement, crawl spaces, attic, and under cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom.

• Open Faucets: In the event of a cold snap, a trickle of water left running can go a long way. The idea is that a faucet kept open alleviates the pressure that otherwise builds between ice formation within a pipe and a closed faucet. You may not keep the pipe from freezing, but this can keep it from bursting.

Seal off Your Home

If you are starting to notice your home getting colder, you might want to invest in some weather stripping.  Sealing your home will not only keep your house warm and toasty throughout the season, but it will also save you money in energy costs. Inspect your windows and door frames for gaps and air leaks. If there are gaps larger than a nickel’s width, you will want to reapply caulking or weatherstripping to your window.

Silicone caulk is best used for exterior sealing because it doesn’t shrink and holds up against the weather. You can also add weather stripping around doors to prevent warm air from leaking out and cold air seeping in during the winter.

Clean Out Your Dryer Vents

Now that the chill of January has set in, you’ll probably be using your dryer more.  It’s a good idea to take the time now to clean out your dryer vents to avoid the risk of house fires. Make sure to remove built-up lint from the dryer in order to reduce the fire risk and improve your household energy efficiency.  

After you clean out the main lint tray, you should pull out your dryer and clean out the lint from the hose in the back.  Then you can reconnect the vent and turn your dryer on for around 15 minutes. This forces air through the vents and will blow out any lint that may have been in the tubing or stuck in the outer vent.

Watch Where You Throw Salt

While salt is a fast and labor-free way to get rid of snow and ice, you may want to think about it if you want your landscaping to look good in the spring.  Not only can chemical de-icers harm your concrete, but they are also an obvious concern for homeowners who are meticulous about their landscaping! If you’re looking for your vegetation to be a little greener once the snow melts, you may need to put in a little extra work during winter’s icy months, too. Even rock salt can pose a threat to your greenery.

Experts suggest shoveling more and using chemicals less to combat ice and snow during winter. In the end, you get a workout and your lawn can breathe a little easier all year long!

All in all, proper home maintenance is a great way to combat icy winter weather. Preparing for winter during the season’s chill may even make you warm up to dealing with those few cold months!