W i n t e r
W
inter is the time to go around the
interior of your home and check for
any little things you may have overlooked,
or perhaps noticed and said, "I'll get to
that later." Winter is your later. If you have
any interior honey-do projects, whether it
be painting, building shelves, etc., now is a
great time to tackle those as well.
Regularly check for ice dams and icicles.
De-icing cables that sit at the front of the
roof work well. Don't let icicles grow, as
much as the kids may want you to. They're
not only a danger to people standing
beneath them, but they're incredibly heavy
and can cause damage to your home.
They also can cause water damage to your
foundation when they melt.
Test your electricity to the extent that
you can. Always, always be extra careful
when working with electricity. You can do a
couple things on your own, though. Check
that all outlets work; if they don't, you
can re-wire them on your own. Also, test
your GFCI outlets. There are wildly varying
opinions on how often to test this. Some
say monthly, others say annually.
Tighten any handles, knobs, racks, etc. Go
through the house and inspect anything
that could have a loose screw.
Check all locks and deadbolts on your
doors and windows. If anything doesn't
work right, replace.
Check caulking around showers and
bathtubs; repair as needed.
Remove showerheads and clean sediment.
This prolongs its life and helps with water
pressure as well.
Deep clean and inspect the basement.
Basements are notoriously overlooked,
especially if they're primarily just storage
areas. Dust 'em up, clean any windows,
make sure there isn't mold anywhere, etc.
Give your basement a good inspection at
least once a year.
As mentioned above having a
homecare calendar or checklist
on hand will ensure nothing is
missed and allow you to also
insert your own items for seasonal
maintenance. Feel free to download
this one and keep on hand or
forward to a friend/spouse.
