In any household, there’s a lot to do to get yourself and your family ready for winter. But between stocking up the pantry and prepping your winter wardrobe, we often forget about our home. Particularly, the outside of your home. Taking the proper steps to ensure your home is ready before winter arrives will help you avoid costly repairs and ensure your home is in the best condition possible once spring arrives.
We’ve compiled a list of the five most important home maintenance tips to ensure your home is ready for the cold and unpredictable winter weather to arrive.
WASHING & SEALING YOUR CONCRETE
While it may not seem like it on the surface, concrete is extremely porous (think of a sponge). Throughout the warmer seasons, it collects water, dirt, and grime and traps it within its crevices. Not only does your concrete end up looking dirty, but this is also the direct cause of cracking, chipping, and pitting. When the freeze-thaw cycle hits, the water inside concrete expands. It pushes the particles deeper into those pores, leading to the destruction of your concrete. Having it professionally washed will remove the dirt and grime, and a premium sealer will protect it during the freeze-thaw cycle.
CLEANING OUT YOUR FLOWER BEDS
Prepping your flower beds for winter should be an annual task if you want to keep them in tip-top shape. Begin by raking out the old mulch and dead organic matter. For your favorite annual flowers, harvest any mature seeds and store them in a cool, dark area until it’s time to replant them. For perennials, cut back dry stems and diseased foliage. Be extra careful to leave stems and roots intact to ensure they can regrow come spring. To prevent small rodents from nesting in the warm soil, apply a thick layer of mulch over your entire flower bed.
POWER WASHING YOUR HOME
Dirt, grime, mold, and algae can result in permanent staining when left on your home for an extended time. To prevent this, it’s recommended that you have your home power washed on a yearly basis. While the cold temperatures will prevent most of the growth, the heat escape around your faucet creates the perfect winter oasis for mold, mildew, and other contaminants to flourish. If you haven’t done it yet this year, putting it off until next spring could lead to permanent staining.
INSPECTING YOUR WINDOW AND DOOR SEALS
Nothing is more annoying than receiving your electric bill and realizing that you’ve been heating the great outdoors for much of the winter. Taking a moment to check the seal on each door and window, ensuring that there isn’t a draft, will save you money and the headache of fixing it in the middle of winter.
PACKING AWAY YOUR OUTDOOR FURNITURE
You know that beautiful welcome mat with your family surname draped across it? Or the porch swing that you long to sit back and relax in? Those items, and all your other outdoor décor, run the risk of being destroyed by the snow and ice that comes along with winter. Save your outdoor furniture by washing it off and packing it away in a dark, dry location. Come spring you can unpack it and enjoy it for at least another year.
WINTER HOME MAINTENANCE WRAP UP
Completing these five maintenance tasks will certainly help prepare your home for winter. Come spring, your flower bed will be ready for planting, your outdoor furniture will simply need to be dusted off, and you’ll still have those few hundred dollars you could have spent on your heating bill.
While winter brings shorter and colder days, it can be a relaxing and enjoyable time. That is if you’re not worrying about the next crack to appear in your driveway or stains embedded in your siding.
Article Source: https://www.perfectpowerwash.com/5-winter-home-maintenance-tips/
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