It’s mid-winter and you might feel like most of your home maintenance and improvement tasks are on hold. But now, since your home has survived the first half of the winter season, there’s plenty of maintenance you can do to keep it in tip-top shape.
Inside the home:
- Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Change your air filter in your HVAC.
- Clean tile grout.
- Check pipes and plumbing for leaks.
- Regularly check or set automations on smart thermostats to maximize efficiency.
- Clean dryer filters to help prevent fires.
- Clean the inside of the stove.
- Check dryer vent and lint traps.
- Clean chimneys and fireplaces.
- Organize storage areas.
- Donate any clothes, coats and shoes that are in good shape that you don’t use.
Outside the home
- Keep snow shoveled away from your foundation, garage, parking spots and driveways.
- Check for and remove ice-dams on your roof, gutters and take down low hanging icicles.
- Make sure downspouts and gutters have not been affected by snow and ice.
- Clean up your yard and remove any branches/debris.
- Wrap/insulate all exterior hose bibs.
- Check caulking around doors/windows for deterioration.
- Put up plastic sheets or weather screens on windows to help keep in heat.
