Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 3 | Page 19

DEFINITEINVESTMENT Preparing Your Home for Fall & Winter STORY BY JENNIE MELVIN 443.223.2771 • [email protected] You'll get a season's worth of savings and peace of mind by taking a few steps in the fall to get your home ready for cold weather. CHECK ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS FOR ANY GAPS AND CRACKS. Seal with caulk around windows, weather-stripping and doors where appropriate. You don’t want a cold draft. INSPECT YOUR ROOF FOR DAMAGED OR CURLED SHINGLES, CORRODED FLASHING & LEAKY VENTS. Make sure the flashing around chimneys is secured and thoroughly caulked. DRAIN AND WINTERIZE OUTDOOR FAUCETS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. I cannot emphasize this enough! Before the first frost, make sure the hose is off and drained, and the faucets outside the house have been drained and winterized. I didn’t drain the lines one year and got an unpleasant surprise of water all over the place when I turned on the faucets in the spring. INSPECT AND CLEAN GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS Both in early and late fall, it’s important to inspect and clean gutters and downspouts; make sure they are secured tightly to the gutter boards. By mid-December, they will be filled with leaves, which can add weight when you get a heavy rain and, if frozen, will back up into your attic space. Be sure to clean out and re-inspect after all leaves have fallen. RAKE AND REMOVE LEAVES FROM THE YARD. They will smother the grass if left through the winter, and piles left in corners of the house or yard make perfect winter nesting grounds for rodents. I have found, by accident, that moles and voles particularly like to burrow under a thick pile of leaves. APPLY FALL LAWN FERTILIZER This will help prevent winter damage and spring weeds. Ask a local garden center or check online to find out which type of fertilizer you need and when to apply it. If you have a lawn service, they can do this for you. CLEAN OR REPLACE DIRTY FURNACE FILTERS. Before you close up all the windows for the season, you should clean or replace your air filters. During the spring, summer and fall, they will house a lot of dust and pollen. HAVE A PROFESSIONAL INSPECT YOUR HEATING SYSTEM. There is nothing worse than your heater not working when the temperature drops. Don’t wait until it’s too late; have your heating system checked out now. CHECK FIREPLACES FOR SOOT OR CREOSOTE BUILDUP. Better yet, schedule a visit from a reputable chimney sweep. Even if you didn’t use your fireplace very much the year before, have it checked out anyway. SCHEDULE A HOME SAFETY CHECK Last, but certainly not least, a home safety check should be an annual ritual in every household. Test smoke and CO monitors, and inspect (or install) fire extinguishers. Don’t delay! GREENBOOK | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014 19