Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Get your home ready for winter with these 'honey-do' fall tasks
Urban Living
Posted By Babs De Lay on October 18, 2023, 4:00 AM
Who doesn't love fall! Well, maybe your house doesn't? You may have had so much fun this summer that you've neglected those "honey-do's" and before long, there will be snow and really cold weather, which your house will not appreciate.
Here's some last minute things to do around the house to get your property protected and tucked in for the cold winter.
—Have your chimney inspected and cleaned to prevent fires and potential carbon monoxide poisoning. Both wood burning and gas fireplaces leave residue inside your chimney that can catch fire if it's built up too thick. Gas fireplaces may not be properly vented and could cause you to fall asleep, permanently, unless you have a professional check out the gas lines and venting.
—It's really not too late to add more insulation into your attic space and under your floor from your basement. Not only does additional insulation bring lower heating and cooling bills, but it also helps our environment by using less gas or electricity from your HVAC systems. You can add environmentally correct (green) insulation inside your attic, walls, ceiling and roof as there are many eco-friendly options that have come to market in the past several years. Also, you can wrap your hot water pipes inside your home and wrap your water heater to save money this winter. Ask your local expert at the hardware store for advice on the best materials to use and really, it will be cheap and well worth the effort.
—Check around your doors and windows to look for gaps and holes where the cold wind comes in. There's simple kits out there for windows where you use visqueen, attach it with tape and then use your hair dryer to tighten it. I used this method in apartments and homes I rented in college and was really happy with the savings on my heat bill. Also, check the caulk around doors and windows and exterior vents as you may need to scrape out some of the old sealant and replace it with something better.
—Get your gutters cleaned out! It may be dangerous for you to climb up on a ladder to get the gunk out of your gutters so find a local expert to come over with proper equipment to flush out and even dig out the detritus. Last winter was brutal and there were seams in our gutters that leaked, and the weight of the snow and ice in some places caused small parts of our gutters to detach from the roof. Luckily I found a great vendor who spent a morning getting us back in shape. I'm really grateful that I did this because I think the gutters might have collapsed and torn away from the house giving the predictions for another snowy season this winter!
So quit your leaf peepin' and get to work before it's too late!
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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