Work around the house is never done but vigilance and planning will make the tasks easier. Here is a continuation of checklist items to trigger your memory about things you will want to do to prepare your home and your budget for the colder weather.
- Check all window and door locks for proper operation
- Check your home for water leaks
- Review your fire escape plan with your family
- Make sure there are working nightlights at the top and bottom of all stairs
- Have a heating professional check your heating system
- Protect your home from frozen pipes
- Replace the furnace filter
- Run all gas-powered lawn equipment until the fuel is gone
- Test your emergency generator.
- Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues and check your fireplace damper. Soot and creosote, which build up inside the chimney, can ignite when a fire is lit in the fireplace. Wood-burning stove connector pipes and chimneys should be inspected by a certified chimney sweep at least annually.
- Remove bird nests from chimney flues and outdoor electrical fixtures. They are a fire hazard. Bird nests in chimney flues can prevent a proper venting of combustion gases and can catch fire from sparks.
- Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat/cooling loss.
- Make sure that the caulking around your bathroom fixtures is adequate to prevent water from seeping into the sub-flooring.
- Begin gathering the empty plant boxes and containers from the windows and porch. No need to dump the soil but do clear it of spent plants. Store them covered with burlap cloth. If you are storing the containers outside exposed to the weather, turn them upside down.
- Repair door and window screens now and give yourself one less thing to do next spring.
- Check and replace cracked caulking around doors and windows. This can be a tedious project but it is the cheapest and smartest way of keeping conditioned air where you want it and saving you money.
- Don’t put the mower away just yet. Use it to mulch/mow leaves when they begin to fall. This can help cut down on raking and bagging leaves.
- Do not store flammable liquids in the house or garage over the season. Also make sure you aren’t storing dirty, oily rags in a pile. They can ignite spontaneously.
- Scrape and re-paint chipped railings and porch decking.
- Stand across the street from your house and take a look to see if you like what you see. Make any adjustments to improve the curb appeal. Colorful potted chrysanthemums could add to the appeal.
- Repaint door and window frames if necessary.
- Clean the windows inside and out.
- Check for cracked or missing caulk around the bathtub and the base of the toilet. Properly sealing these gaps can prevent water from seeping into sub-flooring and damaging ceilings and walls.
- Check the batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Have the heating system checked professionally.
- In the garden, when the air begins to gets a steady, slight chill, lay down a thick blanket of mulch to help plants sleep well over the winter.
- Aerate the ground. Old golf shoes with spikes will make it easy
