With the dark days of winter moving in quickly, it becomes even more important to have a safe, warm, dry environment to retreat to inside your home. However, this requires you taking on a few simple homeowner tasks to make sure that everything is working as it should.
Before winter settles in in Fort Collins, here are some must-have items on your winter checklist.
Insulate and Ventilate
You can’t expect your home to be warm and energy-efficient if it isn’t well insulated. You may spot some cracks around windows and doors, but how do you really know if your home has enough insulation?
There are a number of telltale signs: fluctuating temperatures, high heating bills, ice dams on the roof, frozen pipes, cold spots to the touch on ceilings and walls, along with water leaks in your attic. If you are experiencing any of these, poor insulation may be to blame.
As for ventilation, this is an essential part of keeping your home dry. This matters because you need your home to be dry in order to heat properly. Also, excess moisture can promote mold growth, which will make you sick. Turn on a couple of fans in your house to the outside that can pipe extra moisture outside. In damp rooms, pull furniture out from the walls a little bit.
De-Icing Salt and Sand
Don’t let a layer of ice in your driveway and walkway cause you to slip and fall this winter. Get prepared and prevent injury by stocking up on de-icing salt or sand and store it somewhere handy.
Spreading a generous amount of salt or sand will break up the ice and give you the traction that you need.
It’s a good idea to leave a little bit in the trunk of your car too. You’ll appreciate having it if your car door locks freeze up.
This issue can become even bigger if your pipes freeze up, so make sure that you keep de-icing salt or sand at hand to prevent any major plumbing system problems.
Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm Testing
It is essential to your family’s health and safety that you’ve got working carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
The risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning gets even greater when you turn the heat on and start using your fireplace more often. Remove the lid and vacuum the inside.
Dust and debris accumulate inside the unit over time. Test the units and put in fresh batteries. If you don’t have them in place already, put a fire extinguisher on each floor. Don’t forget to check the date.
Contact a Fort Collins plumber today for additional winter preparedness tips.