Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests! As we get ready for the Season of Giving, many of us will have family and friends descend to our homes. And you know, Murphy’s Law of what can go wrong will! This year, make sure you’re prepared with these fix-ups and preventative maintenance tasks to help take Murphy out of the picture. We’ll help you prepare your home for holiday guests by preventing and removing mold, fire, odor, and water hazards.
- Water Damage Prevention
If you live in the north, something we see this time of year is the weather changing and getting colder. A little home maintenance now before it gets too cold can help you get through the Giving Season along with the northern winter. Last year we saw quite a bit of ice damming due to the weather conditions so our first task to tackle is to prevent ice damming.
Ice Damming occurs due to fluctuating weather conditions of warmth and freezing along with rain gutters full of snow or fall leaves. The rain gutters are filled with snow or leaves but the snow on the roof is melting. The melting snow from the roof runs down the roof but cannot go any further. The water then gets underneath the ice or snow that’s on top of the first courses of shingles causing the water to go up and underneath the shingles.
- How to Prevent Ice Damming
If you live in a frigid or snowy climate, we suggest installing heating cables along the edge of your roof to keep snow runoff from freezing. If this is a task you are unable to accomplish on your own, call in the professionals. It’s much cheaper than having to deal with repairs after the damage occurs.
With the cold weather we always have a chance for water pipes to freeze. Frozen and bursting pipes are a situation no one wants to deal with. In order to prevent this hazard, there are a few preventive measures you can take now.
- How to Prevent Bursting Pipes
Turn off water to exterior spigots, drain them, and leave them open throughout the winter to minimize the chances of frozen, burst pipes. If you have exposed water pipes in your basement or garage, wrap them with heat tape.
- Preventive Maintenance for Your Home Toilet
Extra guests in the house make all of your mechanics work harder. So don’t forget to give your toilets some TLC. Replace worn flapper valves or the entire flush mechanism. Tighten all the screws and bolts. If you suspect a leak, fix it right away. Those leaks can turn into a mold issue or a much larger water damage issue in your home.
- Prevent Roof Damage
Trim branches and tree limbs that overhang your home. Make sure that you are being safe doing this job or call in the professionals to get the job done. Always be mindful of overhead power lines and where they are in conjunction with your trees and roof. Safety should always be the first concern. By trimming away dead branches and limbs from your roof line, you’ll save the added expense of a branch breaking in the high winds of fall and winter and damaging your roof.
- Fire Prevention
The next area we should focus on is cleaning the chimney if you have one. With additional guests, the colder weather, and the ambiance of the holidays, you’ll want to use your fireplace. It’s important to have a properly functioning fireplace to prevent fire hazards. This is a must-do, regardless of whether you are burning wood logs or have a gas fireplace. If you haven’t gotten a chimney sweep yet this year, now’s the time to get on it before you fire that baby up—dirty chimneys are a leading cause of house fires. (Pro tip: To keep things clean year-round, remove fireplace ash after each blaze. If you have a compost pile, throw ashes there, which will help make good soil.)
- How to Prevent a Chimney Fire
Keep your chimney clean year-round and remove ash after each week. If you are comfortable cleaning the chimney yourself this is a good time to make sure it is complete. Again, safety needs to be at the forefront of this task and if you are unable to safely clean your chimney, hire a professional.
- How to Prevent Clothes Dryer Fire
If you notice that it takes longer than normal for loads to dry in your clothes dryer, it may be time to clean out the vent. First detach the duct from behind the unit and then push a plumbing snake through your dryer vent from outside. Tie a rag securely to the snake end. Pull the cloth and snake through a couple of times and your clean vent will not only save energy but possibly prevent a fire as well.
If you discover that your dryer vent cover needs repair, now is the time to fix it.
- Mold Prevention
This time of year we see condensation causing issues in homes and businesses around the windows. Condensation happens because of the warmer air rising in the home and the colder air outside of the home coming through the window area. When the water molecule is in a gas form and then hits the cool air, it looses it capacity to hold water vapor resulting in water droplets. 
The condensation forming on the woodwork of the windows can then cause mold to grow. The best way to prevent this is to make sure that you have proper insulated windows. However, sometimes that may not be enough. Good air movement in the area that is affected can help keep the area dry. We also suggest you wipe down the area with an anti-microbial cleaner to help keep mold from forming. If the area tends to be prone to condensation, a dehumidifier might also be a wise solution.
- Make Odors Go Away
Home odors happen; from pets to unexplained odors to smoke or even mold and mildew.
CCS Property Service has found there are a number of products on the market that lessen odors. Here is a list of the 5 Best Order Eliminators.
Prepare your home for holiday guests so you can enjoy your season of giving with friends and family. So here’s to a happy, healthy home.
CCS Property Services has been providing odor removal services and mold and water removal services for over 20 years. Our reputation speaks for itself. Need help with providing a mold-free, odor-free home? Call us at 920.435.2288.