Get Ready For Winter
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.