Fall-Winter Home Tips

As fall and winter approach in Northern Virginia, it’s important to prepare your home to ensure comfort and efficiency during the colder months. These simple steps outlined below can help keep your home cozy and safe all season long.

Indoors:

1. Reverse Ceiling Fans so they are going clockwise
2. Weatherproof doors and windows with weather-stripping, caulk or plastic
3. Make sure you have adequate insulation in attics, crawl spaces and walls so that your heating system doesn’t have to work overtime
4. Test your sump pump
5. Get your humidifier ready, make sure it is cleaned and inspected and a must is checking the drain line
6. Clean heating vents. Dust and vacuum if necessary
7. Make sure you have plenty of air filters for your heating system and typically you should change every month
8. Check your batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
9. Check portable heaters and their cords for damages or cracks. Use with caution as they are a common source of house fires.
10. Know where your main water shut off valve is so you can shut off water to the whole house quickly. If a frozen pipe bursts, being able to turn off the water quickly can save you thousands

Outdoors:

1. Move your outside furniture and appliances (grills, lawn mowers, kids toys) inside or in a shed
2. Store seasonal tools in a dry place. You can coat them with a thin layer of vegetable spray to help to prevent rust
3. Close off water source to hose bibs and drain hose bibs by opening the faucet all the way. Also drain your hoses
4. Clean out gutters. Frozen leaves are heavy and you want to make sure that rain and snow will drain away from your home to protect the foundation
5. Fall is a great time to make sure there is no debris collecting around your outdoor HVAC unit
6. Check for dead tree limbs and have them removed to prevent them from falling and causing damage during a storm
7. Make sure outdoor lighting is working and is sufficient
8. Any outdoor outlets need to be GFCI as they prevent fires. Also make sure any outside lights are designated for outside
9. Check exhaust vents. Make sure vents are open and free of obstructions
10. Check for critters. Check for holes around the foundation, in siding, soffit… Animals can cause significant damage to your home and health.