The morning air is crisp, school is back in session, September is a great time to do some home-maintenance to gear up for the winter. Listed below are some great items to tackle this month!
- Add weatherstripping to windows and doors- this can help maintain the heat in the cold months and cut down on electricity bills. Check any storm windows if you have any, repair and clean them now.
- Check the condition of your insulation and see if you need more, especially if you live in an older home. This can help heating costs.
- Check and clean your gutters, make sure all are clear before the leaves start falling!
- Keep Mice Out! Make sure all exterior vents are screened, and that there are no gaps underneath the garage doors.
- Caulk the exterior, this is weatherproofing in a tube! Gaps on the outside of your home can be caulked. Look for transition spots such as corners, windows, doors and any area where masonry joins siding, or places where vents and other objects protrude from walls. Just make sure to buy the appropriate caulking for where you will be using it! September is the best time because caulk doesn’t apply well when in cooler temperatures.
- Get your firewood ready (if you have a woodstove or a fireplace). Most of us buy whatever is local but if you can steer clear of soft woods such as fir and cedar, these burn faster and create creosote in the chimney, thus requiring more maintenance and cleaning. If you can buy hard woods such as oak, hickory and maple, they burn slow, hot and clean. Wood piles attract insects and pests so you will want to make sure to store the wood away from the house and in a dry, well circulated area.
- Clean your dryer vent. This should be done every six months. Pull dryer away from wall, unplug it, and vacuum behind it. Unhook the tube that leads to the vent and clear as much lint from the tube as you can. Take a shop vac and vacuum the outside vent as well.
- Inspect your roof and chimney. If it’s possible to walk on your roof, check for broken or missing shingles, damaged or missing flashing and seals around vent pipes and chimneys, and damage to boards along the eaves. If you can’t walk on your rooftop take a ladder and look around the perimeter. Take a flashlight and look into your chimney, make sure no animals have created a nest. Some patches and roof cement now can prevent thousands of dollars in water damage later in the winter!
For more great tips check out the slide show from MSN Realestate 7 places you should be checking around your home.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. If you would like to complete a secure online loan application click here.
Cheers~
Ray Williams
Summit Mortgage Corporation
303-779-0591 ext. 101
