Discover How a Winter Home Checklist Can Save Your Family This Season

The best way to make sure that you’ve got all your bases covered this winter in Little Rock, AR, is to make a home maintenance checklist for your home. This particular checklist should cover off items that concern home safety for the structure and your family.

We’ve put together some of our best suggestions to help you stay warm and dry, and keep your home in great shape this winter.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide

When you think about the important jobs that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors do, your time doing regular maintenance is a small price to pay for that safety.

Take the opportunity this winter to double check that they are in good working order. Place new batteries inside.

Remove the tops and clean out the dust inside, so that there is nothing to interfere with its operation. Just a reminder, don’t ever paint over your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors because it will diminish their ability to sense danger.

Ventilation Tips

You may not realize it, but too much moisture isn’t good for your home in the winter. While being too dry can cause wood floors and furniture to crack, having too much moisture will promote mold growth. Additionally, a damp home is more difficult to heat. What’s more is that windows are closed in the winter usually, which makes the air circulation low.

Rectify this by installing a home ventilation system. Alternatively, you can open windows for a few minutes each day, just to get the air flowing.

De-Icer and Sand

Have you ever stepped on an icy walkway and had no traction? It’s incredibly dangerous.

You could seriously injure yourself simply by stepping out your front door if there is even a thin layer of ice. Don’t take that risk.

Keep a good supply of de-icer or sand nearby. Sprinkle it liberally, and it will break the ice up for you.

It is also very important to use de-icing products for any plumbing systems that run the risk of becoming frozen.

Outdoor pipes are most likely to freeze during the winter months, and this can create huge problems inside your home as well. Because of this, having de-icing salt or sand is imperative.

Insulation

As a money saver and to keep your home in great shape, insulation is essential. Insulation will deteriorate over time or can be damaged in leaks or storms, so it is important to keep an eye on it.

If you are experiencing things like temperature fluctuations, cold spots, pest problems (bugs and mice particularly), high heating bills and water leaks in your attic, your insulation needs attention.

The bulk of your home’s heat is at risk of escaping out of your walls. Investing in a good layer of insulation will not only reduce your heating bills, but it will also preserve the asset value of your home.