It’s almost winter, so it is time to get on top of your pre-winter maintenance. Before you know it, the snow will be falling here in Cobourg, ON, so there is no time to waste. Before you start, get organized with a checklist.
There are a few essential items that will help cover off health, safety, and energy efficiency. Here are some items for your winter checklist.
How Much Insulation do you Have?
To get your home warm and cozy for the whole winter, you need to have a good, thick layer of insulation. Good insulation is important not just from a comfort standpoint, but to keep your heating bills under control as well.
You also get less condensation with quality insulation, which prevents damage and assists with heating too. How do you know if you are under-insulated?
Some common signs are drafts, leaks in the attic, frozen pipes, high heating bills and inconsistent temperatures. Insulation deteriorates over time, so it is a good investment to upgrade.
Make a Point of Checking Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
During the winter, the furnace is going full blast, and you’ve got the fireplace on more often. The risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning increases, so you need to be very vigilant.
Part of that plan includes checking your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to make sure that they are working.
Remove the lids and clean out the interior with a vacuum. Replace batteries. Never paint on a unit, as the sensors won’t work effectively.
De-Icing Salt
After a winter storm, your porch, walkway, driveways, and plumbing systems are going to be coated in ice. You can slip and fall, and cause yourself serious injury.
Before winter hits hard, stock up on de-icing salt now and store it where you can get to it easily. It’s a good idea to keep some in your car too, to help with frozen locks.
If you’ve got pets, be mindful that de-icers can be toxic to them and hurt their paws. Make sure that you get something pet-friendly.
Ventilation Tips
The focus in the winter is on heating, not on cooling, so we tend to leave the windows shut. This can interfere with your ability to heat your home effectively, especially if there is too much moisture. Your home needs to be relatively dry to heat well.
Open a few windows at a time a crack for a couple of minutes a day. This will also let fresh air in the house, which will improve your indoor air quality. Use an exhaust fan in really moist rooms (i.e. the kitchen and bathrooms) to assist with air flow.
