Get Your Home Winter Ready

Winter’s here, and while Mother Nature has been easy on us so far, we know it’s not long before we settle in for a long and cold winter’s nap. Alberta’s potential extremes mean our houses have to be ready for those cold temperatures and big snow falls.

Check your roofing

Before the snow settles in, it’s a good idea to inspect your roof for damage that may have been caused by hail and wind over the summer months. You don’t want to risk leaks into your attic over winter and end up with a nasty surprise come spring.

Trim your trees

If you have evergreen trees on your property like Spruce or Pine, now’s the time to give them a trim, or call an expert if you have large trees. Annual check ups keep trees healthy and prevent dead or dying branches from snapping under the weight of snow build up.

Dig into your gutters

Unclogging your gutters and checking downspouts will ensure water can drain away from your home. This means less opportunity for freeze-thaw cycles to mess with your foundation and taking precautions will also prevent damage to your gutters and roof during the winter.

Service the furnace

While our furnaces tend to sleep through the summer, they don’t get much rest all winter long and no one likes the inconvenience and hazards of a minus 30 degree furnace outage, not to mention the extra costs involved. Book an appointment with a service expert, and if you’ve got an old furnace, maybe this year is the time to get it upgraded to something more efficient.

Shut off exterior hose bibs

It is essential that you disconnect hoses from the exterior hose bibs and shut the supply of water off inside the house even if you have frost-free hose bibs just to be safe. Once you have disconnected the hoses and shut the water off inside, it is important to open the taps outside to drain any water that may be there in the lines and then shut the taps off once again.

Sweep your chimney

There’s nothing better than a warm fire on a cold winter day. But it’s important to ensure both wood burning and gas fireplaces are safe to start up each winter. Creosote can build up in chimneys above wood-burning fires and if enough accumulates it can start a dangerous chimney fire. Gas fireplaces can become clogged with bird and animal nests or other debris that can cause dangerous conditions.

At Alec Williams Construction, we’re in the business of making sure your home is healthy. If you’re at a loss as to where to start or want more guidance getting winter ready, we’re here to help.

You can book a complimentary home health checkup with me. For more details, feel free to phone me directly at 403.390.7708 or visit my website. Act quickly, we have a few more openings for November!