Prepare Your Home for Winter

Prepare Your Home for Winter

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Admin

Winter is here “weather” we like it or not. While Excalibur is just a call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for any emergency maintenance needs, we’d rather be proactive in helping you prevent issues before they strike, ultimately saving our homeowners money and our renters, headaches.

 

 

 

REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CEILING FAN

Large, vaulted ceilings are a key design feature in the south, but they often lead to hot second floors and cold main floors. Hit the switch on your fan so that the blades move in a clockwise direction, pulling warm air down and cold air up! This will ultimately save you money in heating costs and put far less pressure on your furnace during the colder months.

 

 

LET THE FAUCET DRIP WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DROP

Letting water slowly drip from your hot and cold faucets will help prevent them from freezing and ultimately bursting causing one large, expensive mess.  It’s also recommended that you open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes. If you do this, make sure you remove any items that may be hazardous to children.

 

CHECK THAT CHIMNEY

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), the U.S. experiences over 25,000 chimney fires each year responsible for over $120 million in property damage. It’s no surprise that during the Summer and Fall, animals make nests in chimneys, leaves and other debris fall into the chute, or soot from the previous winter season has accumulated in the shaft. If that is not cleaned out, the potential for a chimney fire becomes extremely high putting not only your home in danger, but yourselves and your tenants in danger.  The CSIA says that if you hear a loud cracking or popping noise, experience an immense amount of dense smoke, and an intense hot smell, you are likely to be experiencing a chimney fire.  Make sure your investment and your lives are protected. Have your chimneys cleaned.

 

 

TRIM THOSE TREES

When warmer day time temperatures bring rain, the lower night temperatures bring ice, and when the tree limbs become coated in ice, the extra weight can often prove to be too much causing the limbs to break. These falling branches can cause large headaches and even larger expenses if they fall on your home, your car, or on electrical wires. So do yourself a favor, make sure your trees are trimmed so that they are not extending over your home or your driveway. This easy step can not only save you money, but it can also save lives.

 

 

 

MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS SEALED

As it gets colder outside, your home will begin to attract unwanted guests.  In order to prevent pests from taking up residence in your home and potentially creating one very large problem, clean-up all debris and edible vegetation around your foundation. Make sure your crawlspace is secured and that all potential entry points, high and low, are sealed. If animals do find their way into your home, you could be looking at high extermination costs and the potential for interior damage to both your electrical system and HVAC ducts.

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