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I really regret the home maintenance projects I didn’t do last fall. Just a few home maintenance projects to prepare, and winter would have been much better and less bitter.
First, the basement flooded. That would have been an easy fix if I’d just climbed the ladder and pulled a few fistfuls of wet leaves out of the gutters. It turns out clogged gutters can allow water to cascade down the siding, seep into the foundation and flood the basement. If a homeowner leaves it long enough it can even crack a foundation. It sure would have been easier to climb the ladder than to deal with a flooded basement.
Then, as winter hit, so did my electric bill. It didn’t take too much research to figure out that I’d neglected to replace the HVAC system filters.
Who knew? Apparently, that’s another fall maintenance project that wise homeowners perform every year. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to get a full furnace tune-up.
Let a professional look over the system for small issues that may become big ones. Prevent a year’s worth of dust overworking the system and driving up the utility bills. You’ll increase your indoor air quality as well.
Turns out another reason I nearly had to take out a loan to pay my first electricity bill was this: I didn’t seal around my windows and doors. A tube of caulk and a few hours to do that small project would have prevented cold drafts, too.
By that time, I got smart enough to go to the internet and pull up some information about any other tasks I may have forgotten.
I found Numbers three and four. Three? Since winter is peak time for furnaces, fireplaces and space heater usage, it’s a good time to change the fire alarm and CO detector batteries. It’s one of those home maintenance projects that’s too important to remember.
Finally, The Big Four includes the simple act of disconnecting outside hoses. I really wouldn’t have thought that it’s a big deal but the water left in a hose can back up into the pipe leading to your house. When it freezes, it expands (seems like I should have remembered that from 7th grade science class.) That expansion can crack the pipe. When it thaws, it can lead to massive water damage.
So here they are again. This year I’ve done them all and I’m looking forward to a stress-free winter.
Clean Gutters ♥♥ ♥♥ ♥♥ Check HVAC filters ♥♥ ♥♥ ♥♥ Change Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm Batteries ♥♥ ♥♥ ♥♥
Caulk Windows and Doors
Ahem! This fascinating post comes with Frank’s name at the top. Don’t be fooled. I’m the writer. Just wanted you to know. No biggie. It’s nothing. Just sayin’.
- Frank and Tracy Revalee
- Coldwell Banker Lingle
- The Revalee Team
- 513/520-4738
- frank@frankrevalee.com
- tracy.revalee@cbishome.com
