10 Best Tips to Prepare Your Property for the Winter Season

10 Best Tips to Prepare Your Property for the Winter Season

1. Schedule a maintenance check for your furnace, humidifier and air purifier. Call in a professional to make sure all are working and up to current standards. Also check all filters to ensure good air quality while you spend more time inside.
2. Turn off water to outside spigots and outdoor showers, then open them from the outside to let any remaining water drain out. This will prevent frozen water within the pipes causing the water line to burst.
3. Inspect your flues thoroughly. Animals such as squirrels and birds are known to make nests in flues of furnaces and water heaters. Since these flues are meant to carry out harmful toxic fumes, you don’t want them blocked in any way. 
4. Inspect and clean your chimney to avoid chimney fires. Unburned tar vapors called creosote build up over time and are highly flammable. We recommend having your chimney serviced once a year by a certified professional.
5. Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters can cause damage in multiple ways; the frozen water can weigh them down until they sag or fall off. The water can overflow and freeze against siding. The overflow on the outside can then form icicles that droop dangerously overhead.
6. Examine your roof, siding and exterior walls. There are many places where your home can be exposed to the outside elements. Close up all openings as needed. Also check for loose shingles and replace if necessary.
7. Caulk your windows and weather-strip your doors. Caulk as needed around the individual frames and around the perimeter of the window unit. Replace any faulty weatherstripping, and don’t forget the door sweep at the bottom of the threshold.
8. Service your generator annually or shop for a new one. Generators provide backup power protection, safety and peace of mind for your family or business during a power outage. 
9. Check your fire extinguishers. Don’t go into the winter without working fire extinguishers, and make sure everyone in the household knows where they are and how they work. We recommend having fire extinguishers throughout your house for extra protection. Fires don’t always happen in the kitchen while cooking. Electrical fires are more common than you think and can happen in any part of your house.
10. Don’t get snowed-in! Check your snow blower before the first snowstorm hits. Also, always keep fresh gas on hand for the season.

E.J. Jaxtimer Builder, Inc.’s Property Management Division provides all of these services and more to our current property management clients. To learn more about all of the services we provide, visit www.jaxtimer.com/class-services/property-management