Your Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
The holidays are over, the kids are back in school after a long break and the cold weather is here to stay for a while.
After a season of your weekends being filled with lots of events and family gatherings, you might find yourself wanting to bundle up on the couch by the fireplace with a cup of coffee and your favorite feel good movies until that lovely Spring weather decides to grace us with its presence.
⤴️ That scenario is one of my absolute favorites and as much as I want to be true hermit in the winter season, there’s a few things that need done around the house to ensure that everything stays in tip top shape.
And no, I’m not just talking about my house, friend! Yours too ⬇️
The good news is that you’ll likely have plenty of time to check these things off your list since your calendar is probably looking fairly empty after a few months of go, go, go.
Whether the couch is calling your name or you still have a lot going on in this season, either way it’s crucial that you find the time to do these three major things for your winter home maintenance:
Cover your air conditioner unit
You know that big, not-so-pretty box that sits outside your home and makes a lot of noise? No, it’s not just an eye sore on your back patio! That’s your AC unit and covering it in the winter can prevent ice and snow buildup or other winter debris, like dead tree limbs, from getting into the case.
This item is extremely important for my fellow Montana people or anyone in the surrounding parts of the country. Basically if you live somewhere with extremely cold winters and consistent snowfall, this isn’t one you want to skip.
The lasttttt thing you want come March or April is to turn on your air conditioner for the first time in months just to find out that it doesn’t work. 😅 That wouldn’t be a super fun start to spring now would it?
This is why preventative maintenance is key and is also why we recommend having a full inspection on your AC system in the fall so you can avoid any issues in the future!
Check for leaks in your basement or crawl space
I know what you might be thinking… “Basement leaks?? In the winter?”
You heard me right! Basement and crawl space leaks are actually very common in the winter months because while it might be freezing cold temps outside, the temperature in your basement is still significantly warmer.
This warmer air can radiate into the ground causing any frozen soil or snow to melt which creates and accumulates moisture. When this happens, the moisture becomes trapped with nowhere to go, thus causing a leak. 👎🏼
In addition to this buildup of moisture, the eaves, troughs and downspouts installed near your home can accumulate tons of water from rain or snowfall and if they aren’t positioned far enough away from your house, they can also be the leak culprit.
So, how can you avoid this? Great question - we love a preventative homeowner. 👏🏼
Here’s the thing: avoiding leaks in the winter doesn’t start in the winter.
It’s truly all based on what you do in the other months to ensure you’re safe from this nightmare.
Two key things include:
Check your downspouts and make sure the funnel is a minimum of 4 feet away from the base of your home (psst: if you aren’t sure what a downspout is, they are the pipe-like pieces connected to your gutters that are installed along the side of your house)
Connect with your landscaper to ensure you’re using a type of soil that allows for proper draining across your entire property
Change your furnace filter
Your furnace filter is that handy dandy thing that acts as a barrier between your furnace and your home’s heating system to prevent any contaminants from getting into your home!
Overtime, these filters collect dirt and debris and in order to work properly, they need to be changed from time to time and winter is one of the best times to do it since your furnace will be working overtime during the cold months.
Not changing your filter can cause inefficiency (helloooo high electric bill 💸) with your heating system and can cause wear and tear that can even break the system altogether.
I don’t know about you, but waking up in Montana on a cold January morning with no heat in the house would send me straight to a bad mood. I’ve dealt with that and let me tell you, you’re not about that life.
So, do yourself a favor (and save yourself some money) by changing that filter!
When you carve out some extra time to check in on these things on one of your free Saturdays, you can freely cozy up on your couch with a cup of coffee in hand while knowing that your home is in pristine condition!
Here’s to a comfy, cozy winter season! ❄️☕️🔥
P.S. If you want to make sure that you’re staying on top of your home maintenance for ALL seasons, go ahead and download the full seasonal checklist to make things easy peasy for you during all four seasons.
