Most homeowners know that the harsh winter can potentially wreak havoc on your home. Follow these 5 tips below to ensure that your home is in tip-top shape to last through the cold season.
- Make sure your driveway and sidewalks are always clear Remember that as a homeowner it is up to you to ensure that you clear snow and ice from your driveway and walkway. Not only is there a hefty fine to be issued by the City of Hamilton, but you want to avoid any injuries on your property due to negligence. Sometimes, simply shoveling or snow-blowing the snow away is not entirely sufficient. may not be enough. Make sure to de-ice, whether it is with salt or gravel. It may be a better interest to use gravel since salt can harm pets, grass and brick. No matter what your de-icer of choice may be, always read the instructions and do your research before applying it liberally.
- Make sure you are changing your furnace filters each month. During the winter, it’s easy to get stuffy. As a result, homeowners need to ensure that proper ventilation is put into place. Since we are continuously running HVAC systems, it’s easy to forget to change the filters. In the summer months, you can get away with changing these filters every 3 months. But in the wintertime, you want to make sure to change them monthly. Try setting a reminder on your phone or calendar to replace the filter every first of the month. This will make sure your home and family are always healthy and thriving.
- Be mindful of drafts through windowsIf you notice a draft coming into your home, take the time to inspect the caulking around your doors and windows. If you notice that caulking is cracked in any place it will need to be replaced. Homeowners may overlook this and instead crank up the heat, which will not truly resolve the issue. If your caulking is replaced, the draft should subside.
- Inspect your chimney (if applicable) Have a look in your chimney for things such as “soot” or “creosote”. You want to avoid any creosote since it can be a fire hazard, which can easily spread throughout the home. Upon chimney’s inspection, make sure to look out for harm done to the flue of the chimney. Any issues (such as a crack) in the flue can create toxic fumes (such as carbon monoxide) which can spread into your house. Make sure to inspect chimney’s even if you have a gas fireplace since this is applicable to all chimneys. You want to avoid heat escaping and smoke entering.
- As always, inspect and test your CO detectors and smoke alarms Since the wintertime is colder, we generally stay in to cook more, light candles and fireplaces, etc. All of this can be potentially hazardous. Ensure your family’s safety by inspecting your detectors and smoke alarms. It’s best to test alarms every 4 weeks. So once again, set a reminder on your phone or calendar for the first of the month to test out these alarms.
Winter is a beautiful and magical season, and it can be celebrated with ease when you know your home is safe, secure and ready to take on the cold! Zeina Homes are all approved by Mike Holmes’ “Holmes Approved Homes” program. That means they are built to last with the finest quality and safety measures put into place. To learn more about the projects and houses Zeina Homes currently has to offer please visit the following link HERE
