Home Maintenance Suggestions Before the First Snow

There are a series of home updates you may perform throughout the year. And before the first snow, there are a few tasks that should take precedence. Performing vital maintenance to things around the home that contribute to its ability to protect you from the cold will benefit you greatly. Here is a closer look at some priority areas and how to handle them.
Inspect Your Home’s Pipes
Inspecting your home’s pipework and ensuring it can withstand another cold season is critical. Performing these maintenance tasks before the freezing temperatures arrive will save you from costly damages and ensure you stay ahead of downtime. Inspect all pipes in your home for leaks and damages, including the copper pipes in your walls, PVC pipes in your basement, and all other pipes under your sinks. Additionally, consider having a professional plumber perform a thorough analysis of your home’s pipework.
Service the Furnace
You don’t want to turn your furnace on for the first time and smell smoke, fire, or dust. The best time to schedule your furnace’s annual servicing is before the first snow or before the first time you use it. Call in the help of a professional to ensure the furnace is ready for the months to come and that the chimney is clear of debris or buildup.
Prepare Your Home’s Windows
Your heating bill will likely be significantly higher than you expect if you are allowing in unwanted drafts without your knowledge. Hire a local window replacement company to inspect your home’s existing windows, and consider investing in replacements where necessary. This can help you reduce your utility bill, increase the value of your property, and extend the life of your home’s windows by about 20 years.
Clean the Gutters
Autumn means falling leaves and full gutters. Get up on the roof to inspect and clean the gutters at the beginning of the season. When snow hits and begins to melt, you want to ensure the water and sludge have a clear path to exit your gutters and avoid flooding your home. You also don’t want anything sitting in the gutters for too long, as it’s liable to freeze. This can create an issue when spring rolls back around.
Tend to the Trees
A top maintenance tip for around the home that gets left behind before the first snow is tree removal. When trees age, they become weak from the inside out. Once enough snow piles onto an old, weak tree, there is a higher likelihood that branches will fall off, potentially damaging your home.
Depending on where the branches and trunks land, this could put your home in harm’s way. Inspect the integrity of your surrounding trees, and consider cutting thin or weak branches and removing them from overhead.
Performing home updates is a never-ending job. But it’s essential to protect the value of your property and the safety of your family. Keep these maintenance tips in mind as the seasons begin to change.