Our Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
Winter weather in New England is cold and wet, which can take a toll on your home. Thankfully, there are winter maintenance checklist items that can help ensure that your house stays in great shape throughout these harsh months. Today, we’ll share our top winter home maintenance tips with you, including some winter chimney care tips.
Here are some ways that you can better maintain your home and chimney this winter.
Get Your Chimney Inspected and Swept
When was your last chimney inspection? Your chimney needs to be inspected annually to make sure that it is not threatening your family with carbon monoxide poisoning or as a fire hazard. Chimney inspections will also help ensure that your fireplace is working efficiently and not causing energy loss in your home.
Similarly, your chimney should be inspected once a year and swept as needed to remove soot and creosote build up, which becomes unsafe if unaddressed. We recommend hiring a CSIA certified chimney sweep for the job to ensure that your technician has undergone extensive training and is fit for the job.
If you are looking to have your Boston, MA area chimney swept or inspected this winter, click here or call (781) 893-6611 to contact our team!
Check for Gaps Around Your Doors and Windows
Spaces around the windows and doors of your home can let cold air in and make your house drafty and uncomfortable. That is not to mention the energy loss that will occur as your heating system tries to keep your chilly house warm. Stand near your doors and windows this winter to see if you feel drafts coming from them and if you do, check for small gaps. You can add caulking to your doors and windows or weatherstrip your windows to close these gaps if needed.
Replace Your Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector Batteries
We recommend changing your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year. Winter is a good time to either check or replace the batteries, since it is when you will be using your fireplace and keeping your windows closed. Check out our fire safety checklist for more tips on keeping your fireplace secure.
Clean Out Your Dryer Vent
Clean out the lint filter and the lint vent of your dryer regularly year round, but especially during the winter when your dryer is likely being used more. Failing to do so can cause a fire in your home. The National Fire Protection Association reported the following:“In 2010-2014, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 15,970 home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines each year. These fires caused annual averages of 13 civilian deaths, 444 civilian injuries, and $238 million in direct property damage. The vast majority of fires (92%) involved clothes dryers.” Cleaning out your dryer vent is a quick and simple step that you can take to prevent major issues.
Get a Chimney Cap
Do you have a chimney without a cap? We highly recommend having a chimney cap installed this winter if you do not already have one. During the winter, having a chimney cap will keep animals from hibernating in your chimney and prevent snow from entering into your chimney. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our chimney cap guide for more information.
Take Care of Your Home This Winter
Make sure that your house is taken care of during the long winter months by following some of our winter home maintenance tips! If your home has a chimney and you are located in the Greater Boston, MA area, don’t hesitate to contact our team for your chimney needs. We look forward to using our more than thirty years of experience to serve you!
The post Our Winter Home Maintenance Checklist appeared first on Boston's Best Chimney.
