Andy OnCall Chicagoland

It’s December  in Chicagoland, and time for a last minute look at things that need to be done before winter:

1) Make Sure Your Furnace is Good to Go

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
• Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
• Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

• If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
• Make sure you have a supply of firewood stored in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
• Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

• Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
• Make sure the weather stripping around doors is in good condition.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.

4) Check Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• Have your roof inspected to check for bad shingles or flashing.
• Clean out the gutters, making sure that downspouts are clear.
• Make sure that your downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

• Drain gas from lawnmowers.
• Service or tune-up snow blowers.
• Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
• Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
• Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
• Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
• Tuck-point or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
• Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
• Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

Prevent Plumbing Freezes

• Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
• Drain all garden hoses, coil them and store indoors or in a shed.
• Turn off the valves for your exterior garden hose faucets.
• If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
• Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter.
• Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit for Power Outages

• Flashlight plus extra batteries
• Indoor candles and matches.
• Battery-powered radio.
• Extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.