You probably have raked up all the leaves, hung your holiday lights and made sure your lawn furniture is covered or put away, right? It’s almost wintertime, after all. But there might be a few more things to check before you snuggle up and have a nice hot cup of tea, so Feazel is sharing some key winter home maintenance tips to make sure you don’t have any issues when the cold weather settles in.

Prevent Ice Dams

Clean gutters and have adequate insulation

One of the most important things to prevent, as a homeowner, is ice dams. And the best thing you can do to prevent them is make sure you have clean gutters. Even on the coldest days, snow can melt and it needs a clear path off your home – which requires clean gutters. Otherwise, water can freeze and “dam” up under your shingles, causing damage. We have lots more tips on how to get your roof ready for winter! Along with clean gutters, you need to make sure you have a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in the attic and adequate ventilation. So be sure you are regularly looking in your attic, as you check items off these winter home maintenance tips.

Ensure Proper Ventilation

Something that can be overlooked is your bathroom exhaust fan ventilation. Make sure it’s not being exhausted into your attic, because that warm, moist air can cause mildew and other issues. After you check these areas, bundle up and take a walk around your home. Make sure your windows aren’t cracked or damaged and look for bad weather stripping. You don’t want leaks. The same goes for your siding – make sure it’s not damaged, cracked or has missing pieces. You’ll want to get that fixed quickly. Our experts at Feazel can do repairs during the winter months but it can be weather dependent, so make sure you do your best to take care of these winter home maintenance tips now before the bad weather really hits. If you don’t feel like you can perform these checks safely – or if you just want an expert opinion – we offer free inspections. Schedule an appointment today!