FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT - COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL - SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 - 5
FALL HOME & GARDEN | SEASONAL MAINTENANCE
Prepare Your Home for Winter
I
t’s easy to remember to update your exterior paint
job, refinish your deck or prepare your garden for
the winter season. That’s because we see those
parts of our homes and yards on a daily basis. Not so
for our hidden basements and crawlspaces.
Making some winter preparation
updates to these under-appreciated
portions of your home before cold
weather hits can be one of the smart-
est moves you make this fall.
WHY PREP?
It’s easy to overlook your basement
and crawlspace, but doing so can put
some of the most vital parts of your
home’s infrastructure at risk. Even if
your basement is unfinished, it
deserves your attention this fall to
make sure everything is up to speed
for the cold air that will soon be trying
to infiltrate your home through any
cracks in the foundation or drafty air-
ways in your crawlspace.
Moisture can wreck the integrity of
electrical wires and cords.
Your plumbing pipes should be
wrapped to prevent freezing, and any
outside pipes should be drained of
water and shut off for the winter.
Hopefully, the walls of your basement
are insulated. Caulk and seal your
basement windows and doors for
added pipe protection.
DIY TIPS & EXPERT HELP
Once a season, it’s a good idea to
survey your crawlspace for any leaks
or compromised sections. Look at the
small window airways to make sure
they are closed and ready to take on
the blustery winds of winter. Fix any
leaking pipes to avoid them freezing
VULNERABLE SYSTEMS
in the cold.
Basements and crawlspaces contain
Of course, it’s always a good idea to
parts of the plumbing, electrical, heat- get your local experts involved in pre-
ing and drainage systems. These sys-
paring your home for the winter. Sign
tems are the life force of your home,
up for your local heating and air com-
and lack of proper maintenance could pany’s inspection program to get your
make for a miserable winter season.
systems checked at reduced costs.
All of them are vulnerable to win-
Your local professional can inspect,
ter’s wrath, so giving them some pre-
clean and replace any problem ele-
ventive attention could pay off in the ments in your heating system, leaving
long run. Cold and moisture can
you feeling warm and toasty as winter
cause havoc in your heating systems. approaches.
It’s easy to overlook your basement
and crawlspace, but doing so can put some
of the most vital parts of your home’s
infrastructure at risk.
© FOTOLIA