Is your home winter-ready?

With winter upon us, it’s important to stay on top of regular seasonal maintenance to keep your home’s structure in top condition and its systems running smoothly. There are a handful of additional consideration when the mercury drops and snow starts to build up.

If you haven’t yet completed fall home maintenance, now’s a great time to catch up. As the season turns, we follow the same Check – Prepare – Maintain approach:

• Check all major systems in your home are functioning as they should.
• Prepare for the season ahead.
• Maintain your home throughout the season to avoid any unexpected issues.

Check

• Check all smoke detectors to make sure they’re working properly. Replace batteries as needed
  
• Test carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. It’s especially important to do this during winter months when gas-burning appliances are running more frequently.
  
• Test and reset all Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). You’ll find them in rooms where water is present, like kitchens, butler’s pantries and bathrooms.
  
• Check the thermostat to verify it’s working properly. If calibration is needed, contact your HVAC professional.
  
• Test the breakers in your electrical panel.
  
• Check faucets, tubs and toilets for drips or leaks. Tightening connections now can save you money on future water and heating costs.

Prepare

• Remove window screens and ensure heating vents aren’t blocked. Allowing warm air to circulate around windows helps reduce condensation and frost build-up in colder temperatures.
• It's best to leave blinds and curtains open just a little too — warmer glass means you can carry more humidity in your home before you’ll start to notice condensation.
• If you have heat trace in your downspouts, ensure the breaker is turned on for the season.
• Ensure that you’ve shut off the water to your outdoor hose bibs.
• Replace furnace filters and clean the heat recovery ventilator (HRV) filter. Consult your mechanical system’s service schedule to see whether a tune-up is due.
  
• Stock up on ice melt or sand to prevent slipping on stairs and walkways. Be sure to read instructions on these products carefully before using! Salt and other ice-melting products can damage new concrete and natural wood surfaces.

Maintain

• Continually adjust your home’s humidifier settings to correspond to changing outdoor temperatures. The settings in every home are different, but keeping humidity too high in cold weather can lead to condensation and ice buildup around windows and doors.
• When a cold snap is expected, turn the humidity down a day or two in advance to ensure humidity levels are at an appropriate level when the temperature drops.
• If condensation does appear on windows or window sills, wipe it away as soon as possible to prevent moisture damage.
• Regularly ventilate areas like the kitchen and bathrooms to maintain your home’s overall indoor air quality. If you have an active HRV, set it to the highest speed to help keep indoor humidity down.
• Run water into drains to keep p-traps from drying out in the colder months. This includes flushing toilets that aren’t used often and adding water to the garage drain.
• Remove ice and snow from porches, decks, stairs and walkways as soon as possible to prevent damage to these surfaces. Do not pile snow against the side of your home.
• Check for ice dams along eaves and roof overhangs. Clear any standing ice as soon as possible and check that heat traces are working if you have them.
• Keep an eye on furnace intake and exhaust vents. Clear any visible ice crystals that form as they can clog air vents when cold weather persists.

Performing regular seasonal maintenance helps keep your home comfortable and energy-efficient — plus it helps prevent costly repairs. Maintenance is also essential to keeping your new home warranty intact. Since every home is unique, it’s important to review the requirements set out in your new home warranty manual and individual product warranty guides. Check – Prepare – Maintain so you can Love Staying Home this winter.

This post outlines common seasonal home maintenance and potential solutions but does not cover all possible situations and solutions. Please refer to your new home warranty manual and individual product warranties to determine whether professional maintenance is required for your home’s products and systems.