House Maintenance: Winter

Well it’s the end of November and we are still without a significant amount of snow. Now, I’m not complaining as I would love every winter to be like this, mild temperatures and blue skies but I know this won’t last forever. Soon enough the snow will be piling up and we’ll be huddled up inside sipping hot chocolate and longing for summer.

With the fall house maintenance a distant memory there shouldn’t really be much to do come the colder months. To round out the home maintenance schedule I leave you with these few things to do around the house to ensure you stay warm and dry this winter.

1. Brush snow off gutters and down spouts. Get a head start on spring run off by clearing gutters and down spouts of excess snow and ice. This will allow water from melting snow to be diverted away from your home.

2. Shovel the sidewalk and driveway. The sooner you remove ice and snow from concrete surfaces after it falls the less daunting the task seems to appear. Some de-icing agents aren’t recommended for use on concrete as they may cause pitting and other damage to the surface.

3. Add water to drains. Pour a quart of warm water down basement drain so it fills the pipe and prevents sewer gases from seeping into your home.

4. Open windows on nice days. When it’s not too bitterly cold open the windows to allow the house to breathe. It lets some of the built up humidity escape and allows an exchange of stale inside air for air from the fresh outdoors.

5. Lower your humidistat setting. Winters are cold and dry here. With the houses being sealed up so well there is an accumulation of humidity that comes from things like the dishwasher, clothes dryer and shower. Set humidistat to 30-35% or even lower if you notice a build up of condensation on the windows.

6. Check windows. Remove window screens and check windows for ice build up or cold air leaks. If there are leaks take note and repair or replace them in the spring.

7. Clean shower heads. This is a good indoor project to do during the colder months. Clean shower heads with vinegar or other cleaner to remove any mineral build up that may have occurred.

8. Home inventory. You may have started this on a rainy afternoon in the summer and now is the time to finish it up. Create an asset inventory for insurance purposes, so you have all the information at hand in the event of an accident or severe weather.

9. Clean or replace furnace filters. Since we’re inside with doors and windows closed for most of the winter it’s important to keep the furnace filters clean and clear of dust and other debris. This will help improve air quality and efficient functioning of your heating system.

So that’s the short list of maintenance items you can putter with over the next few months. As always this list is by no means exhaustive and not everything will apply to everyone. For those of you who are just entering your summer, have a good one and do try to send some of your warmth our way especially when it’s -50C here. Yikes.

See also:

House Maintenance: Spring

House Maintenance: Summer

House Maintenance: Fall

Photo courtesy of: Denis Collette