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Putting together your home maintenance to-do list before the season’s change will give you plenty of time to plan and budget for improvements to your home, steps that will make it more comfortable during the heating season. Taking action to shield your home from the cold will pay off in fewer major repairs, reduced heating bills, and a longer life for your heating system.

Outdoors

  • Inspect the roof and look for any shingles that may be loose or missing. Ice, rain, snow, and wind play havoc with your roof, and if water seeps below the underlayment, you could have a major repair facing you in the spring.
  • Examine the foundation of your home and the basement rim joint and note any places where cracks or gaps exist along it. Use exterior caulk to seal them or expand foam for larger holes.
  • Look for any peeling paint on the outside of your home. Repaint if you see areas where it’s coming loose. Should moisture get inside the siding material, it can freeze during cold weather, eventually expanding the cracks and damaging the siding material.
  • Add cleaning out the gutters to your home maintenance to-do list. Clogged gutters are one of the major causes of ice dams that can damage your roof, attic, and walls. Clogged gutters also result in rainwater gushing out onto the ground next to your foundation, which can result in basement flooding.
  • Seal any cracks in the driveway with a patching product so that moisture can’t seep beneath, freeze and expand.

    • Indoors

    • Lock your windows on a windy day and run your hand around the frames, sensing any air leaks. Use caulk to seal the frames.
    • Check the weatherstripping around the exterior doors and window sashes and replace them if gaps exist.
    • Schedule a tune-up for your heating system. HVAC professionals do a thorough job of cleaning, adjusting, and assuring its safety. Annual maintenance results in lower heating bills and increases the life of your system.
    • Have a chimney sweep clean your fireplace and chimney.

    For assistance with plumbing or heating chores as you go through your home maintenance to-do list, please contact us at Pipe Works Services. We’ve provided outstanding HVAC services for northern New Jersey homeowners for more than a decade.

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