Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
Date: 4 Jul 2022
- Check Windows and Doors for Drafts. Did you know that a simple 3mm gap running the length of your door can equal the same surface area as a brick missing from the exterior of your house? Most drafts around doors and windows can be easily fixed by installing weatherstripping or caulking / putty around windows.
- Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat is the number one recommendation for making your home more energy-efficient. Discover the other four suggestions in these energy saving tips.
- Add more insulation. If you do not have enough insulation, adding more will go a long way to reduce your energy bill. Have plenty of insulation, but still want to save on your energy bill? Simply adding more will help.
- Check attic / roof space for proper air ventilation and insulation. Have you ever checked to see if your attic or roof space is adequately insulated? If not, check out this article on how to determine how much insulation is necessary for your region.
- Replace Heat pump Filters. Heat pump filters keep excess dust and particles from circulating from your home and help your heat pump operate more efficiently. Some furnaces have metal filters that can be cleaned by rinsing them or vacuuming them out, others are disposable and need to be thrown out and replaced.
- Clear Debris from Gutter Downspouts. Precipitation in a short amount of time from winter storms means excess runoff and potential flooding. Gutters and downspouts are the first line of defense in keeping the inside of your home dry. Make sure the downspouts are free of debris and that water is directed away from your home's foundation. If water runs away from your foundation, odds are that the rest of your home's moisture defences will do their job.
- Insulate Plumbing and Pipes. A few minutes of prevention at the onset of winter can save you hundreds of dollars if not thousands on costly damage and repairs to pipes and plumbing. Insulate pipes or use heat tape or a thermostatically controlled heat cable to prevention pipe bursts. Jump into action now, and prevent major issues in the future.
- Secure dryer vents and air intakes. While it is a good idea for any air intake to be covered with a wire or mesh prevention barrier year round, animals may take advantage of any openings more aggressively once winter sets in.
- Drain and store garden hoses and shut off exterior water tapes. Disconnecting and draining garden hoses and other exterior irrigation will greatly extend their life or prevent bursting. This is most important if you live in the South Island of New Zealand.
- Contact The Handyman Group. Contact your local home repair expert at The Handyman Group and compile a list of jobs to get done before winter kicks in to ensure your safe and warm throughout the long New Zealand winter.
