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December 21, 2020

Winter Home Maintenance Tips

Today marks the first day of Winter and that means, if you haven’t already, it’s time to check off a few home maintenance chores off of your list to prepare your home for the cold days ahead. Although, we are in the south and it does not get quite as cold as some places, it is still important to the efficiency and longevity of your home to practice good winter prep. Read on for a few tips to help “winter-ize” your home!

  • Avoid Bursting Pipes – It’s commonly known that when temperatures drop, pipes in the home are at risk of bursting. To prevent this from happening, keep a small trickle of cold water flowing through sinks overnight. Another helpful tip is to open under sink cabinet doors to keep the warm air circulating around pipes. Don’t forget to drain and properly store outside garden hoses as well.
  • Trim Potentially Hazardous Trees – Every now and then temperatures drop so low that grass, flowers and trees freeze over. Temperature fluctuations can cause these tree limbs to break and fall causing a problem if they fall on homes, cars, power lines, etc. To avoid this potential hazard, be sure to trim back tree limbs that may be in the “danger zone.”
  • Weatherproof Windows – Over time windows can begin to develop an airgap resulting in air loss for the home. To combat this, be sure to remove old caulking from the window gaps and re-caulk all around the window. This simple task can make a huge difference in your homes’ heat retention.
  • Practice Fire Safety – Colder days and nights call for breaking out the cozy candles and space heaters and snuggling up around the fire place with family. Unfortunately, because of this, there is a sharp increase in home fires in the winter. Be sure you are following all safety precautions such as; checking smoke alarms every month, refraining from overloading outlets in the home, utilizing a screen each time you use your fireplace, using space heaters with an automatic shut off, monitoring candles, etc. Always make sure your family has a safe and effective fire escape plan just in case.
  • Switch Fan Direction – While it may seem a bit silly to run a fan during the colder months, did you know that switching the direction of your fan to clockwise and running at a low speed can actually help distribute heat in your home? Since heat rises, a clockwise turn of your fan will push this heat back down thus warming rooms more thoroughly.

We hope these tips will help you prepare for the cold days ahead. Be sure you’re staying safe while keeping warm. Wishing you a wonderful holiday and winter season from the team at Ivey Homes!

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