Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter: Part 2

Burgess Inspections, Inc. exists to help homemakers make informed purchases on quality homes. To accomplish this goal, we proudly provide comprehensive home inspections throughout the Virginia counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. Even still, all homes require routine maintenance to protect them from damage and decay, especially in the winter. This year, take the following precautions to prepare your home for winter. See our previous post for more winter home maintenance tips.

Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter

6. Clean the Chimney

Each year, before ever lighting a match, have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a trustworthy chimney sweep. Burgess offers visual and/or camera inspections for wood burning fireplaces. Or, when you book a residential property inspection with us, we can book a comprehensive chimney inspection with a qualified company in Richmond on your behalf.

7. Drain Outside Faucets

If not thoroughly drained, a frozen exterior faucet can split the water line inside the home and cause leaks and/or flooding. To prevent this, drain all exterior faucets and water sources before temperatures dip below freezing. Simply shut off the water valve to your exterior spigots. Then, open the lines to drain all remaining moisture. Do not turn the water back on until it is warm enough to use your hose again in the spring.

8. Check Your Trees

Trim back large tree branches that overhang your house, a neighbor’s property, and other valuable structures. While those branches may look harmless, they can cause serious damage if they crack under the weight of snow and ice. Similarly, check on the health of your trees; dead branches and trees should be removed before winter. Otherwise, the freezing temperatures, strong winds, and weight of the snow may cause them to fall and cause damage.

9. Seal Up the Attic

Your attic is a rodent’s paradise in the winter. The space is warm, undisturbed, insulated, and usually cluttered. To keep intruders at bay, make sure your gable vents, soffit, and fascia are properly sealed. Similarly, trim back tree branches that could serve as a bridge into your home.

Schedule an Inspection

For more tips on home maintenance, check out our resources page. And, if you have other concerns about your home, we offer an array of specialty inspections, including radon testing, mold testing, and more. To schedule an inspection, contact Burgess at (844) 804-9219.

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