Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Once you have battened down the hatches in the fall, winter is a more restful time. Besides changing your furnace filter on a monthly basis, you need to do a few other things on a regular basis throughout the cold months. It's also a good time to look at the plumbing and safety systems and the air flow in your home.

• Remove snow and ice as they build up in front of vents, gas meters, on walkways, and near basement windows and emergency exits

• Shovel driveway and keep clear of ice

• Watch roof for ice dams and dangerous icicles

• Furnace air filters need to be changed monthly, ventilation system filters can be done every other month

• Check your firewood supply and remove ash buildup in a wood burning appliance as necessary

• Clean your humidifier

• Pull out the refrigerator and freezer, vacuum out the radiator grilles and clean the floor underneath

• Go over the fire escape routes with your family and make sure the emergency exits are not blocked

• Replace washers on leaky faucets and replace any faucets necessary

• Clean out all the drains in your house

• Keep basement floor drain trap filled with water

• Run water through pipes that are used infrequently to prevent freezing and problems

• Inspect windows and doors for excessive condensation and ice buildup

• Note any drafts or cold air leaks that you find for repair in the warmer weather