Winter Home Emergency Prevention Check list

Now that fall is upon us it is the perfect time to do a thorough inspection of your home. Detecting and correcting problems before they become emergencies can save time and money. Making your home more energy efficient can help reduce high-energy bills, improve comfort and help prevent costly unexpected crisis.

Donald F. Oliver Home Improvement provided the following list to use when you inspect your home.

1. Attic: Look for evidence of  roof leaks, also openings that permit entry of bats, rodents or other pests; inspecting insulation, rafters, ventilation openings, chimney and side walls. Replacing attic insulation is quick, cheap and easy and it offers substantial savings from heat loss.
2. Roofing: Inspect from the ground signs of curling, blistering, rotting or missing shingles.  They are the first stages before a leak. Snow, ice and water seep under the shingles and cause damage to the under layment of wood beneath the shingles.  If caught early the wood will not need to be replaced, the house will only need to be reshingled at a significant savings.
3. Windows: Check for difficulty of operation, cracked or broken panes, faulty or hard-to-operate locks and worn weather stripping. Our windows offer lifetime guarantee on all mechanicals.
4. Windowsills: These take a beating, especially those that face the southern sun. Inefficient windows or high indoor moisture levels from air leaks can result in condensation, frost or pools of water in windows and sills.  Replacing rotten wood is inexpensive and can save a whole interior wall from being internally damaged.
5. Gutters: Check and clean all gutters and leaders.  One of the main causes of water in the basement is loose or clogged gutters.  Gutters are one of the most inexpensive repairs that can save many water entry emergencies.
6. Doors: Inspect for sticking or sagging; examine locks and weather stripping.   New storm doors are insulated and energy efficient. Most New Entry doors are decorative, insulated and designed to stand alone. One afternoon job to replace.
7.  Fireplace: Check dampers, firebox, hearth, grate, andirons, screen and mantelpiece. Examine flashing, chimney cap and mortar.
8. Basement in general: Look for signs of dampness, leaks, cracked or broken floors, cracked walls.  Remodeling a basement is a great winter project for the greatest savings on an off season price.