Four Winter Home Maintenance Projects You Probably Didn’t Know You Needed to Do

Having your furnace cleaned, checking your windows and doors for tight seals, storing your outdoor furniture, inspecting your fireplace… there are lot of projects you’ve probably already checked off your winter home maintenance list. It’s pretty easy to remember the projects you see every day – and that will have an immediate impact if something goes wrong – but what about those not-so-easy-to-remember projects? Here are four things on our winter home maintenance checklist we bet some of you forgot…

1. Test and Clean Your Sump Pump

As we’ve said on this blog before, sump pumps aren’t just for spring. Whether it’s a winter rain or a big snow storm, water can get into your foundation any time of the year. Having an operational – and clean – sump pump will help you avoid costly damage. There’s almost nothing worse for a home owner than water problems!

2. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Most ceiling fans can run in both directions, meaning they can push warm air down or pull cooler air up. If you have ceiling fans in your house, switching them to make the blade run clockwise will make your house feel warmer while the air is moving.

3. Flush Your Hot Water Tank

Whether you’re taking hour-long baths in the dead of winter or running the water a bit cooler so it doesn’t feel so cold when you get out of the shower, no one wants to be without hot water. Winter is a good time to flush and insulate your hot water tank. That said, if your water tank is somewhere cold or you’re flushing with a tube that runs out of your house, keep an eye on the temperatures. You don’t want any water to freeze over!

4. Get Ready for Snow – with More than Salt

Getting your home ready for snow and ice means more than having a bag of salt handy! Be sure to check your snow shovel or snow blowers and put them somewhere easily accessible after a storm. Also take a look at your roof and your gutters to make sure you’re not creating perfect places for ice dams or other snow and ice buildups. And, perhaps the most overlooked item here, check your outdoor lights! It’s easy enough to slip on ice and snow – you don’t want to have to walk through those conditions in the dark.

TruBlue can help with these projects and many more! Find your local TruBlue today.