NOVEMBER HOME MAINTENANCE
If you’re anything like us, you’re getting ready to hunker down for the impending holiday rush as fall begins its inevitable acceleration into winter and you're probably only think thinking about Thanksgiving at this point.
But before you throw the turkey in the deep fryer and binge on a Lifetime or Hallmark holiday movie marathon, take a few minutes to protect your home and family against winter’s chill.
This month’s tasks are all about guarding against the elements—and the unforeseen. But fear not: We’ve got you covered with our handy checklist of home maintenance chores to tackle this month. Read on for details about where to start, and whom to call if you need reinforcements.
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Don't Let Your Kitchen Disposal Spoil Your Thankgiving Day!
During holiday meals, a lot can go wrong with your drain lines when you are cooking and cleaning and not paying attention to what goes down the drain. Well-meaning friends and family members who offer to do the dishes sound so nice until the line gets clogged. During winter months do not put grease down the sink drains as the colder pipes will cause the grease to harden and block the line.
When it gets below freezing (32 degrees) make sure you open up the kitchen and bathroom cabinets on outside walls to allow warmer room air to circulate to keep pipes from freezing and turn on faucets to allow them to drip.
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Check Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke Detectors. Most home deaths happen between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. Many victims die because of smoke and toxic gases, not the fire itself. Today, you can buy smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are in one unit. They should be installed on every level of your home including the basement, workshop, and especially bedrooms. According to the American Red Cross, you should change your batteries twice a year.
Smoke Detectors. Most home deaths happen between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. Many victims die because of smoke and toxic gases, not the fire itself. Today, you can buy smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are in one unit. They should be installed on every level of your home including the basement, workshop, and especially bedrooms. According to the American Red Cross, you should change your batteries twice a year.
Carbon Monoxide Detector: Because CO is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, it often goes undetected. Any fuel burning appliance in your home is a potential CO source. Every home is required by state law to have at least one CO detector placed within 10 feet of any bedrooms. Be sure your detector displays the Underwriters Laboratories (UL 2034) label.
DIY: Just press the “test” button on your alarm, and ensure it sounds. Some local fire departments will test your detectors twice a year for free.
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Block Out Pests for Your Guests!
When temperatures drop there's nothing worse when you have guests for Thanksgiving to have rodents and other pests seek out warm places to hunker down just like us. But unlike us, many of them can fit through holes the size of a quarter. Take this opportunity to give the exterior of your home—and especially your roof—a once-over. Replace damaged tiles and attic vents and seal any holes around plumbing vent pipes, cables or other penetrations through the exterior exterior of your home.
DIY: Use wood putty, flexible brick, or concrete caulking to patch holes. And make haste, since filler takes longer to cure during colder months.
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Windows and Doors - Repair or Replace Caulking & Weather Stripping
Again, having guests and family for the Thanksgiving holiday you don't want to have a drafty home. Inspect the caulking and repair any that was battered over the past year. Check around your windows, doors, and corner trim to prevent water infiltration and void costly repairs. Be sure you remove the old caulk and don’t simply try to apply caulk over the old caulking as it won’t last.
DIY: Feel like you’re always caulking? You can cut down on the frequency of this task if you buy high-quality siliconized
acrylic latex caulk rated for exterior use. It has good adhesion and flexibility, cleans up easily with water, and is paintable, too.
To check weather stripping, turn on all the lights in your home and walk the perimeter at night to see if you see any light coming through. Take a piece of your existing weather stripping with you to the hardware store to ensure you buy the right replacement.
Check weather stripping around windows, doors, vents, trim, or siding. For larger cracks or holes, use expanding foam, which you can find at any home improvement store.
This can make a huge difference in keeping you warm and toasty during the winter months and saving a lot of money in utilities. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you’ll save 5% to 30% per year in energy costs by reducing drafts.
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Replenish Emergency Kit
If the past tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and past years winter freezes have taught us anything, it’s that you can never be
too prepared for a natural disaster. Get ready by purchasing new batteries (don't forget to get extra ones) for your flashlights, extra candles, a few bundles of wood and starter logs, extra lighters and matches to have on hand in an emergency.
Update your 72-hour Kit—if you don’t already have one, make one. Make sure you have some food stored: Fill up a few 5-gallon jugs of water and stock up on canned goods in case you go without power during a winter storm. And if you have a camping stove, give it a tune up and make sure you have enough fuel to cook without power.
