Prepare Your Home for Winter

Daylight Savings, or what most people call "Fall Back," ends at 2 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 6. Our recent trick-or-treaters, the changing colors of leaves and the brisk cool mornings bring a hint of fall. Winter is right around the corner. 

Our homes require annual fall maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.  This is a good time to prepare our homes for winter, before the rain really  starts dumping.

To help you get a jump start, I combined advice from various sources to help you prepare your home for winter; not a a complete list, but a good start:

1) Heating, Ceiling Fan and Vents

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly during the cool season.
• Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
• Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.
• Reverse switch on your ceiling fans so they blow upward, towards the ceiling.  This allows air to move upward in winter. This is especially valuable in high ceiling rooms, where heat that naturally rises is forced back down into the room.
• Make sure all heating vents are opened and unblocked by furniture or other items. This will ensure that the air is evenly distributed through the home.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

• Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
• If the chimney hasn't been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
• Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home – be aware of the defensible space for fire safety.
• Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing to prevent cold air from coming in.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.
• If you have a wood burning fireplace, pay attention to ‘Spare the Air’ day. 

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

• Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
• Use weather-stripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
• Consider install energy efficient, double paned windows to conserve energy by keeping the warm air during the winter and cool during the summer
• Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• Add extra insulation to the attic to prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams during extreme cold weather.
• Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
• Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.
• Check attic areas and crawlspaces for mice, birds, squirrels, insects, etc.  Look for droppings and possible damage done to wiring, insulation, siding, roofing, etc.  They will be looking for a winter safe haven over the next few months – before they settle in, keep an eye out for them.

5) Service Specific Equipments

• Drain gas from lawnmowers.
• Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
• Vacuum refrigeration coils/condensers: Refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers all have coils & condensing units (usually behind a panel at the bottom of the unit – consult your models owners’ manual).  Keeping these clean will reduce energy costs and prolong the life of the unit.

6) Check Foundations

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
• Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
• Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
• Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
• Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Install or check smoke detectors in each bedroom and hallway and check them to make sure they work. 
• Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
• Install a to guard against the silent killer, required in California homes since July 1, 2011.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
• Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.  Put fire extinguisher close to but not next to places where most fire might occur (such as kitchen)
• Check manufacture dates - Smoke detector lasts about 10 years, CO2 detectors, 5 years, and fire distinguisher, 12 years. 

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

• Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
• Drain all garden hoses.
• Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
• Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
• If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees; also leave the faucet on a slow drip to keep the pipes from becoming frozen. 

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
• Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
• Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
• Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
• Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
• Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
• Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
• Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
• Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

Some References:

• http://www.realtor.com/home-garden/home-maintenance/fall-maintenance/gut...
• http://www.consumerenergycenter.org / tips
• http://www.servicemagic.com/article.show.Goldilocks-and-the-Fall-Maintenance-Checklist.16316.html#ixzz1cQkMtzrV
• http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2010/09/davinciremodel-a-kick-ass-fall-main...
  

(*) Disclaimer - The article is intended to provide general information on the subject.  Readers who require specific advice should consult experts in the area of interest.