Fall 2017: Preventative Tips

We all know that home maintenance is important to protect your investment in your home. Taking time to do the following items can help protect your investment and help prevent losses in your home.

Clean out any debris that has collected in your gutters and on your roof. This will help ensure your roof has proper drainage and prevent water and ice from pooling on your roof.

Drain garden hoses and disconnect from hose bibs. As freezing temperatures start creeping in, water sitting in hoses and hose bibs can freeze causing damage to pipes.

If you have an underground sprinkler system, have the system blown out to remove any water in the hoses. The water can freeze and crack the hoses in the winter causing issues in the spring.

If possible, shut off the water to your external water spouts to prevent them from being used during the winter.

Have your furnace serviced and filters replaced before you start needing to use your heating system in your house. This will ensure that your furnace is in good working order and unlikely to break down during the winter. If your furnace has an issue in the winter, temperatures inside can drop very quickly and increase the risk of frozen and broken pipes.

If you have a septic system, consider getting it serviced or pumped before winter if needed. Once the snow hits the ground, it is difficult to have you tanks serviced or pumped. If a septic tank is full or not in good bacterial health, there is the possibility of it freezing causing a sewage back up in your home.

If you have crawl space vents, close and insulate them for the winter. This helps keep your home warmer and moisture out of your crawl space. Excess moisture can contribute to organic growth.

Along with these seasonal tips, remember these annual maintenance tips as well:

Have your dryer vent cleaned every year or two to prevent lint build up in the system. Dryer lint is extremely flammable and build-up can contribute to dryer fires.

Check your hoses and water lines to your dishwasher, washing machine, and ice maker. The hoses can become kinked, cracked, or develop small holes which can easily lead to water damage in your home. It is recommended to replace hosing with braided, stainless steel flex hosing.

Test all your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if needed.

For more information about these tips, contact Buffalo Restoration at 406-998-1800 today!