Tasks for Your Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Winter is the favorite season for many people. And how could it not be! Idyllic snowy streets, Christmas, cozy blankets, Holiday decoration, gift-giving, and hot cocoa are just some of the things that make this season marvelous. After all, this is the time of the year when the whole family gets together. And we all know how special and important family time is. However, before you get caught up in this winter euphoria, there are a few things around the house you should get done. Yes, that’s right – we’re talking about winter home maintenance in Colorado. We know this is something nobody enjoys doing. So, to help you out a little, we’re going to talk about tasks for your winter home maintenance checklist.

Avoid frozen pipes

Cold air is the leading cause of frozen pipes. When it freezes, water expands, which can easily lead to bursting pipes. This is something you want to avoid during wintertime. Not having hot or any water during cold weather is absolute hell. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, here are a few steps you should put on your winter home maintenance checklist:

• Insulate all the pipes, or at least the ones by windows and doors or other cold parts of the house
• Detach the outside faucet from the house
• Maintain a temperature of no less than 55 degrees at all times, even when you’re away

Sweep the chimney and inspect the fireplace

Clogged chimneys can be a severe fire hazard. In addition, they might cause carbon monoxide poisoning. It may be a little hard on your pocket to get an annual chimney sweep and inspection, but it’s essential to do it. After all, it can save your and your family’s life. Furthermore, don’t forget to check if your chimney flue is functional. Otherwise, you can get gusts when you don’t use your fireplace. This is something not everybody knows, especially someone who just bought their first home in Colorado.

Clean out the gutters

Clearing the gutter is an essential post-autumn activity. If you want the snow to drain properly, and you do, clean all the debris from the gutters. This includes sticks, leaves, pine cones, and any other debris that can cause damage to the gutters. Additionally, keep downspouts away from your home’s foundation to avoid basement floods and leaks.

Prevent ice dams

One of the things on your winter home maintenance checklist should be ice dams prevention. Ice dams form pretty easily and cause significant damage to your gutters and roof. In addition, they can be extremely dangerous for you and your family. So, here are pre-winter prevention steps we suggest:

• Clear the gutters to prevent water from backing up and creating leaks, ice dams, or roof and wall damage.
• Inspect and update the insulation and ventilation in the attic
• Use a roof rake to remove snow regularly 
• Install heat cables on the edges of the roof to melt all the potential icicles

Make sure your heating system is functional

Since having a functional heating system is crucial in the wintertime, making sure everything’s A-Okay with it before the cold weather starts is something you simply must do. So, if you have a high-efficiency heating system, any clogs in the PVC vent pipes must be eliminated. On the other hand, boiler system users should have it cleaned once a year. And if you use gas, then cleaning of this heating system should occur once every three years. Note that you shouldn’t do the inspection by yourself. Instead, call experienced professionals just to be safe.

Protect the entryway

During the winter, our entryway flooring takes a battering from all the tracked-in snow, road salt, ice, dirt, etc. So, to protect it and prolong its use, we suggest lying down floor mats both inside and outside the house. Additionally, a boot scraper will come in handy for removing all the excess snow from your boots. Don’t forget about the waterproof shoe storage tray, either. These little things will definitely help your flooring survive the winter. After all, floors are one of the best features of every house, and keeping them safe and sound can help you with selling the house one day.

Clear out the walkway 

Clearing out the walkway should definitely be on your winter home maintenance checklist. Since many things can come to our walkway with the wind, it’s essential to clean out everything that looks like it doesn’t belong there. This could be dirt, debris, broken branches, a pyramid of leaves we forgot to blow out, etc.

Additionally, if you left some of your personal stuff on the walkway, make sure to bring them inside the house or in the garage and protect them from the cold weather. This will help you maintain the walkway during the winter and keep you and everybody else safe from falling or slipping.

Inspect smoke alarms & CO detectors

When it comes to fire hazards during winter, inspecting your smoke alarms and CO detectors is a must. In fact, this is something you need to do every single month. Winter is the time when we keep our windows closed, use the fireplace, burn scented candles, and cook more than usual due to the holidays. It would be ideal to have smoke alarms in every room, but it’s essential to install them in your kitchen, bedroom, and hallway. Check all the batteries and change them if needed.

Seal the windows and doors 

It’s essential to plan ahead for the upcoming winter and ensure that your home is prepared to withstand all the weather conditions. Check your doors and windows for any gaps or sections that might allow a draft to enter. People usually use weather stripping to seal doors and windows if there is any problem. Caulk is suitable as well. However, if the problem is serious enough, try replacing the windows or doors altogether. Yes, this can be a bit pricey, but you can’t spend the winter freezing in your own house. Additionally, new windows and doors will definitely add value to your house.

It’s time to enjoy Colorado winter!

Once you complete the house maintenance, you can start planning all the fun winter activities in Colorado. There are so many ways to enjoy the outdoor wonderland of this amazing state, from skiing, snowboarding, and camping to the famous photography, hiking, and dog sled rides. The best part is that you can relax with a nice craft beer in one of many jolly taverns. It’s needless to say that Colorado is an idyllic winter state!

Final words

As you can see, once you finish everything from your winter home maintenance checklist, you can start enjoying the upcoming winter wonderland in Colorado and all that comes with it. Good luck and have a very jolly winter!

Photos used:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/snow-covered-wooden-house-near-trees-3736487/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-christmas-tree-near-the-fire-place-5870779/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-staircase-with-brass-chandelier-3288103/https://www.pexels.com/photo/workman-screwing-window-frame-during-housework-5768107/