In our last maintenance blog, we talked about the weather getting colder and what you can do to take care of your garage. Well now the weather is getting REALLY cold, so it’s time to take a look at the interior as well.
The Issue
The problem here is pretty obvious: your house is getting colder, and you want it to be warm.
And although cranking the heat and hoping for the best might be a start, your electric bill could end up being a lot higher than you can afford. There’s a few tips and tricks you can use going into the winter season to keep the heat in more efficiently, and lead to better success down the road.
And pretty soon, you’ll be saving plenty of money while staying toasty warm.
How to Fix It
There’s a few different ways to spruce up your home and get it ready for winter, so let’s get right to it:
- Change filters in heating and cooling systems: If the filters in your heating systems get too dirty, they’ll freeze up when you try to turn the heat on. Instructions may vary based on the model of your systems, but advice remains the same: get ahead of your filters before you end up with a big problem.
- Check for gaps: Putting your hand or face against the gaps in doorways and windows is an easy way to tell if cold air is escaping the building. If there’s anywhere that needs maintenance, you can get weather stripping at a hardware store for an easy fix.
- Insulate your floors: It might be an afterthought in most circumstances, but keeping your floor insulation in good shape can help with keeping heat trapped inside the building. Plus, it’ll make those first couple steps on hardwoods in the morning much more bearable.
- Turn off space heaters when not around: This has more to do with safety than warmth, but if you leave space heaters running for too long, there’s a chance they could catch on fire. We do want more warmth in the house, but that’s a little too much. Don’t leave space heaters running when you’re out of the house, or overnight if you’re not in the same room.
- Turn off water when away from the home: Finally, you should also turn off your water at the street if you leave your house for a long period of time, in order to reduce the risk of your pipes bursting. Find the water meter, and turn the dial a quarter turn clockwise to stop the flow of water. When you get back, you can turn it back on with no hassle.
The Results:
If you follow all these tips, your house will be in great shape for the winter.
It can sometimes be hard to know where to start, and missing any one of these probably won’t be the end of the world, but treating your home like a well-oiled machine will do wonders for your level of comfort– and your wallet.
But maybe you’re still a little apprehensive about where to start?
In that case, contact The Zachos Team. We’re happy to give some tips on maintenance in any property, as well as use our experience to help you improve the home you’re selling. Either way, we’re happy to help our neighbors bundle up and save this holiday season.
Written by Paul Zachos III