So now that you’ve finished the last of the turkey leftovers, recovered from hours of football and World Cup watching, and Black Friday craziness it’s time for holiday party mode, right? But let’s not forget about some key routine home maintenance projects that will not only provide piece of mind but may also save you trouble and money down the road.
To help you out, the team at RIHI wants to provide you with a short list of some items to focus on around the house this month. Here are some simple tips to you can do yourself or if necessary, hire a professional.
- Protect Your Pipes from Freezing
Nothing like a good New England Winter for the temps to drop and the danger of exposed pipes to burst and you ending up with water everywhere. You can guard against your pipes bursting by simply wrapping them in foam insulation, closing the vents in your foundation, and even opening cabinet doors underneath sinks to allow warmer air from the house to flow around your water pipes. And in the event, you do have a problem, learn where the main water shut off is located…usually in the basement or a crawlspace.
- Prevent Ice Dams from Forming
Now we told you about this in the Fall but if it fell off your list you still have a chance to make sure you don’t have to deal water damage to walls, ceilings, and insulation. First, make sure your gutters are clear of leaves, twigs, and other debris so water can flow freely off your roof. Second, when the snow does fly, doing the best you can to keep it from accumulating on your roof is a great way to prevent ice teams. Your local hardware store has a roof rake which makes the job easy and quick.
- Limit the Possibility of Fire
One of the most common causes of fire in during the holidays is a live Christmas tree. So, if you just can’t live without a live tree, make sure you keep it well watered throughout the holidays. Make sure your tree lights are in top working order and place your tree away from all heat sources like fireplaces and space heaters. Speaking of space heaters, not only do you want to keep them away from your tree, but also away from other flammables like drapes and furniture. Finally, plug a space heater into its own outlet and avoid using extension cords.
- Lovin’ Your Oven
With all the baking and family dinners to prepare, oven performance can be overlooked yet it is an important part of a happy, less stressful holiday season. As for the family get together and that “one uncle”, we’ll leave that up to you. Basically, you just want to ensure your oven is properly sealed around it’s door to keep the heat in and the temperature constant. Afterall, a proper Gingerbread cookie needs 20 minutes at 375 degrees not an hour at 200 degrees.
- Make Your Home More Secure
Let’s face it, not only do we look forward to the holidays full of joy, happiness, and gift giving, but unfortunately so do thieves. So as the days grow shorter, be more vigilant about locking up doors and windows, and keeping your home well-lit while you’re away. Even installing some extra lighting around the exterior of your home will help with solar options quick and easy to install. And of course, any sort of home security system can do wonders like self-install options like SimpliSafe and Ring, or more traditional systems like ADT.
So here are some simple steps from the RIHI Team that you can take to this holiday season to spend more time celebrating at a World Cup watch party, and less time worrying about your home. Cheers
