It’s time for a new start, it’s a new year! If you celebrate the holidays, this is the time you start to put away the holiday decorations. It’s also a great time to tackle some home maintenance tasks. As a homeowner it’s best to stay on top of any repairs that may be needed. By keeping a watchful eye on your largest investment, you can protect that investment by keeping up on such tasks. Even though it’s winter, we feel these are the best home maintenance tasks to tackle in January.
Protect Your Pipes:
As temperatures dip, it’s important to prevent exposed pipes from freezing. Frozen pipes can crack and burst allowing your home to incur water damage or even flood your home. If you are planning a winter’s vacation away from home during the winter it’s extremely important to take the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening. If you haven’t done so already, turn off the water to outdoor spigots. Open the spigots up to allow drainage of any water left in the pipe/spigot. If you can, wrap pipes that may be susceptible to freezing with heat tape. Keep cabinet doors to sink pipes open to allow heat from inside the house to get to the pipes.
Storm Damage Surveillance:
After a winter storm has occurred an inspection routine of your home should be done. This home maintenance task can save you thousands. Inspect your roof to make sure that no shingles are missing or that any damage has transpired due to ice, snow, or wind. If you are not able to safely check your roof, call in a professional. Keeping your roof in properly saves thousands of dollars Check your home’s siding and rain gutters. Rain gutters are crucial to keeping unwanted water from snow melts and spring rain from running off into the soil around your foundation. Also survey the trees around your home to look for broken/cracked branches that may all onto your roof with the next big wind.
Window Wells:
Leaves and snow can build up in your window wells which can cause water damage to occur. Remove leaves and debris from the window wells to prevent mold growth, rotting wood, or peeling paint. Too much snow build up in the window well can cause leaks into your basement as that snow melts.
Declutter the Closets:
January is a great time to do some decluttering and getting rid of anything that is not necessary to keep. For some of us, this is an easy task to accomplish but for others it’s not so easy. The saying, “Less is More” is true and coming from a mold removal and remediation company, the less you have stored the less items mold can grow on. As you declutter your closets ask yourself how often you wear or use the object. If you have not used the item in a year or more, it’s best to donate or sell the item.
By keeping up with what we consider some of the best home maintenance tasks to tackle in January, you can keep your home in top shape. These tips will help you avoid a flooding basement or mold building-up keeping your home healthy and safe.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to call us at 920.435.2288.