Now may be the time of year to make sure that your home maintenance is up to snuff and all those to dos have been completed. With fall, winter, and hurricane season coming, there will be plenty of other things to worry about. It is better to not have to deal with that and seasonal/ yearly maintenance. There are things that have to be handled each year, and this post should help you make that list.
Luckily, we have a checklist for each season/ month to keep up with these tasks. It also helps that my husband does construction and can spot what needs repair quickly. We also take daily walks around the property, and that helps us spot things. For instance, today, we had to tuck some kudzu vines back through the property fence because they were creeping into the yard. We also noticed a tree that needed to be tied down in case of strong winds until we could get it cut (we have a hurricane headed our way, so it is secure and is going to have to wait a couple of weeks).
If you do not have someone in construction, call around to handy men and see if someone can come out and take an assessment of your home. The following things are essential to making sure your home is ready for the next season.
1. Plumbing is essential to all homes and something you do not want to deal with at the last minute. Who wants to wake up in the morning to shower for work, only to find there is a busted pipe? It is best to go ahead and deal with it now. Tampa plumbing can easily check your pipes to make sure they are still strong. Before you call, take an inventory of any faucets that need to be replaced, drains that may be damaged, and anything that leaks.
Plumbing is one of those tasks that most people dread, even those in construction. However, when you can find a plumber that enjoys his job, keep his/ her number handy- you never know when you may have an emergency leak.
Another thing to keep in mind when preparing your plumbing is to make sure your pipes are insulated. If they are not, be sure to take care of this before the winter freeze starts. We also keep our cabinet doors open so the heat from the house can keep the bathroom and kitchen pipes warm, and help prevent frozen pipes, which only result in leaks. Make sure you know where your shut off valves for the water are so that the water does not continue to leak. You may want to keep this information handy so that everyone in the home can find this information.
When you find a plumber, be sure to ask them what they do to weather proof their home and prevent a disaster. Be sure to keep their number handy.
2. Roofs should also be checked this time of year. You should be able to set up a roofer to come check your roof out to make sure that the shingles are good, as well as the rafters. This is a good thing to do before the cold weather starts coming in so that any work that may need to be done can be scheduled before it gets cold.
Go ahead and purchase a large steady tarp, for emergencies. If you get a large limb or tree fall and cause damage, you are going to want to cover that roof until you can get someone to fix it, or deal with the insurance company. This will keep that damage from going further inside the home, resulting in water damage, and even mold.
3. Your foundation is something else that may need maintenance before freezing temperatures hit. The freezing and thawing year after year can make an impact on your home's foundation. It may need to be worked on before it is too late.
4. If you have been wanting to paint, now would be a good time to do that, as paint takes much longer to dry when it is wet outside or cold.
5. Now would be a good time to replace those windows that need it as well. Not only will that keep the windows from getting worse, but save on your heating bill and cooling bill next year.
6. Outside Maintenance should be done as well. Check for dead trees, widow makers (dead limbs that could fall at any time), and trees that are in danger of being blown over in heavy winds. Another good thing would be to check the ground around your home, to make sure it is not in danger of washing away.
One thing we like to do this time of year is to put hay on the parts of the yard that get muddy, from dogs running and from kids playing. This minimizes the mud coming in the house and helps keep the mud puddles down.
We also place hay in some other areas, like the shed and certain areas of the woods and storage lean to. We do this to give the wildlife another place to get warm. Also, making sure there is no standing water is always a good thing- it could freeze and until then, breed mosquitos. This time of year, we tend to make sure that there is no water standing anywhere or in any thing every day because we have more rain than usual and the mosquitos get bad. It also gets us in the habit for winter time.
We also make sure to throw dinner scraps out at the edge of the woods now too. It is going to be harder for wildlife to find food, so we give them a hand, as well as throwing out corn for the turkeys, and replacing the salt block for the deer. It is amazing to look out the back window and see turkeys, deer, foxes, raccoons, and other animals enjoying a dinner that is a little easier. We also make sure the hog trap is ready (who wants wild boar on their property- they tear everything up). My husband also goes out every few days to check for bear, coyote, boar, and signs of other nuisance animals to make sure they are not getting too close to the house and putting the kids in danger. We actually had a problem bobcat earlier in the year that was not scared of humans- a danger in itself!
7. Something that should also be on your list is to check blankets, cold weather clothing, and snow gear. Check it now to make sure that you have plenty, everyone will be warm, and everything fits. If you have kids, make sure their "long-johns," winter coats, thermals, gloves, thick socks, sweaters, and robes fit well. This will give you plenty of time to shop around and make repairs to anything that may need it.
Another thing to go ahead and do while doing this is to get everything on hand that you may need if someone gets sick. We always make sure the humidifiers work, that we have plenty of VapoRub melts, warm socks, extra blankets, a heating pad, and cold medicines for everyone in the family.
We also stock up on canned juices, chicken noodle soup, ginger-ale, crackers, and other sodas. Purchasing Mucinex, Lysol, hand sanitizer, cold-ease, and other items we use during a cold is also on the list, including plenty of bleach! This year, we even purchased bed trays so that when someone is sick, getting their food, drink, and medication in them is a little easier. We also keep movies (when we find them for $5or less) that the kids haven't seen because it keeps them from getting so bored when they are stuck in the bed.
While you are at it, be sure to check your tools, like snow shovels, ice scrapers, and other items you need for snow and ice are in tip-top shape.
8. Make sure you have back up heat. Especially if you use electric heating, it is a good idea to have kerosene or wood heat as a back up in case the power goes out. We keep a kerosene heater in case of emergency, but also for the coldest nights of the year. We run it to give our electric heat a boost and keep the power bill from sky rocketing. Now is the time to burn off the wick, old kerosene, and make sure it is in tip-top shape.
There are other things that you can do to get your home ready for the cold weather, winds, and rain. The best thing to do is to walk around your home and check everything really good, make a list, and start on it. You do not want to do these things when it is too late.
With all of this work, there are fun things you can do to get ready for the cold weather as well. Not only making sure you have board games, play-doh, and puzzles for when everyone is stuck in the house, but fun food as well. Stock up on hot chocolate, stuff for snow cream, homemade chicken noodle soup, and fudge ingredients. This will make being stuck inside more fun and add some fun to your honey do list.
Why not make a sow kit while you are at it, including items for a snowman, extra gloves (we use rubber gloves under their knit gloves), thick socks, glitter for snow play, and other fun things handy for a fun snow day. We even lt the kids have colored water in their water guns for colorful snow fun.
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