Today is the first day of Fall, which means cooler weather is on its way. As a homeowner, it’s time to consider how to prepare your home for the winter months ahead. One of the best ways to save money is to take preventative measures by making sure your home is in tip top shape. Maintaining your home lowers the risk of damages that lead to costly repairs and insurance claims that can raise your homeowners insurance rates.
Here are 7 fall home maintenance tips to make sure your home is winter-ready!
1. Check Roof
Make sure that your roof is solid and ready to roll for the cooler months. Any rips, tears, missing shingles, or cracks can not only allow water into your home, but also allows heat to escape, causing a jump in your energy bills.
2. Clean Gutter
If your gutters are cramped full of leaves, water has no place to escape and can puddle on your roof or drip down the exterior walls of your home. As you can imagine, this can be disastrous to your home. You might have to clean your gutters a few times this fall depending on how many trees you have.
3. Check Windows & Doors
Make sure your windows and doors are up-to-date, installed and sealed properly, and made out of quality materials. You might lose major bucks if they aren’t top notch because of heat leaking out and water leaking in.
4. Check Heating System
Getting an A/C inspection is always a good idea. It can be extremely frustrating when your heat goes out unexpectedly during the cold winter months. Especially when it could have been avoided by a few simple checks.
5. Clean Fireplace, Furnace, & Chimney
Most San Antonio homes don’t have a furnace, but in the case that you do, get it inspected. Also make sure to clean the fireplace and chimney so that soot and smoke can escape properly when it’s in use.
6. Inspect Pipes
Now to the water system. If you’ve ever experienced a burst pipe during a freeze, you know how much of a hassle and expense it can be. Inspect your pipes, make sure there aren’t any leaks or weak spots, and wrap any exposed pipes.
7. Winterize Sprinkler System, Garden Hoses, Outdoor Faucets, Sump Pump, etc.
Any outdoor water lines that still have water in them when temps start to drop, are at risk for freezing and bursting. Make sure to inspect, drain, and turn off the water for each of these water lines before and during a freeze. You might want to hire a professional to winterize your sprinkler system if you’re not confident in doing it yourself.
While winter snow and freezes aren’t a huge scare to most San Antonio home owners, we do get occasional freezes that can cause major harm to your home. Don’t get stuck submitting insurance claims and paying for repairs that could have been avoided by taking preventative measures this fall.