Become a home-improvement master


How to Maintain Your Home in the Winter

Home improvement projects abound in theover or touching your roof. Storms can cause
spring, summer, and fall, but what homethese limbs to fall and do a lot of damage to
repair projects do people do in the winter?your  roof.
Answer: All the projects that happen the rest
of the year. However, projects such as• Clean drain gutters and keep
replacing windows, painting rooms, anddownspouts pointed away from the house. Water
putting on a new roof are difficult to startfrom downspouts should be at least 10 feet
and even harder to follow through on in theaway  from  the  house.
winter because of the weather. Solution: Wait
until  spring.• Clear your roof of debris to prevent
a fire and to lessen the likelihood of damage
Plenty of other home repairs are morewhen  a  storm  comes.
appropriate for the winter like securing your
home so that it can survive that winterCheck  the  Heating  System
weather. Now that winter has arrived, follow
these maintenance tips to secure your homeReplace the furnace filter at least once a
for  the  winter:year and check them monthly. A dirty filter
not only reduces the efficiency of heating
Sweep  the  Chimneyyour  home,  it  can  also  start  a  fire.
Have your chimney cleaned. The easiest way toInvest in a setback thermostat. Keeping your
do this is to hire a professional. Leaves andhome at the same warm temperature all day is
birds nests stuck in a chimney can blockmore expensive. Get a thermostat that will
ventilation and endanger your health. At theregulate the temperature in your home, and
very  least,  check your chimney once a year.set it cooler when you are gone. Cost of this
type  of  thermostat  is  $30.
Have a chimney cap installed to prevent water
and outside debris from entering yourKeeping vents open and removing dust will
chimney.make your heating system more efficient.
Having all vents open will also make sure air
Seal  Doors  and  Windowsis  distributed  evenly  around  the  house.
Caulk or weather-strip gaps around doors andFire  Prevention
windows to prevent warm air from escaping and
cold air from coming in. Pick up a caulk gun• Pick up smoke alarm and carbon
for about $40 at your local home improvementmonoxide detectors. Change the batteries
store. Caulk in a 10 ounce tube costs aboutoften.
$10.
• Buy a fire extinguisher if you don't
Consider installing storm windows if they arealready have one. If you do have one, check
not already installed in your home. They arethe  expiration  date.  Yes,  they do expire.
a more cost-effective option to replacing
windows  and  are  just  as  efficient.• Use a fireplace screen when you are
out of the room to prevent sparks from
Insulate,  Insulate,  Insulatecatching  fire on the carpet or paper nearby.
Make sure the insulation in your attic is• Keep paper, boxes, clothes, and other
adequate. Not sure? Because insulationcombustible material away from the furnace
depends on where you live and involves theand  leave  the  furnace  room  door  open.
level of resistance to heat flow, ask the
staff at a local home improvement center howWhen you have finished winterizing your home,
much insulation is recommended where youthink about projects for spring. A new deck,
live. Most houses need at least 12 inches ofa remodeled kitchen, and freshly painted
insulation. If you can see the ceilingrooms are all great springtime projects.
joists, you know you don't have enoughWrite down your expectations, a schedule of
insulation  as  these  are  about  10 inches.when particular steps of the project need to
be completed by, supplies needed, and
Insulate your attic door as well to preventestimated costs of everything. Whether you
warm air from escaping. Seal any holeselect to complete projects yourself or hire a
leading down into the house with spray foam,knowledgeable contractor, have in mind what
looking for open plumbing or electrical. Notyou want and set aside enough time to get the
only does the right amount of insulation keepresults  you  deserve.
your home warmer in the winter, it keeps it
cooler  in  the  summer  also.Certain home maintenance projects, such as
getting a chimney sweep require an
Check  the  Roofexperienced professional. Other tasks are
simple enough to complete on your own, but
Ok, it's cold, but make a quick trip up tocontractors are available to assist with
the  roof  if  you  can.every maintenance tip listed above. No job is
too small for an experienced home repair
• Replace loose shingles or have aprofessional. All Around the Home ( is a
professional replace them. Damage sustainednational home improvement contractor
from snowstorms or rain that stains indoordirectory. Homeowners can find established,
ceilings from the roof is costlier and morequality contractors with experience in home
difficult than replacing a few loose shinglesimprovement contracts and repairs such as
in  the  first  place.handyman contractors specializing in home
repair and maintenance.
• Trim any tree limbs that are hanging



1 A B C 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85