Preventive Maintenance For The Home Before Winter

Fall is the ideal time of year to do some gutter maintenance work. The leaves are falling, the weather is getting colder, and it is necessary to prepare our homes to face winter. Before temperatures drop and are accompanied by rain and snow; you need to protect your home with a little basic maintenance. But do not worry too much, these jobs do not involve large investments of time or money. It's best to think of winterizing as a to-do list that we will build on one step at a time.

Winter tends to attack houses where they are most vulnerable. Plumbing systems and gutters can be a problem if we're not careful. We must not neglect its maintenance if we do not want to have serious problems. Here are some details on how to prepare pipes and gutters for winter:

Prevent freezing of gutters and pipes

If your gutters or pipes have ever frozen, you will know first-hand the value of preventive maintenance. The problem arises when the water freezes inside them, when the water freezes it expands; which forces the material and can lead to leakage and breakage. These damages can involve very expensive repairs.

Especially if the water seeps through the walls and creates humidity; which will force us not only to repair the break, but can also cause the appearance of mold. To prevent this type of damage there are several solutions:

To prevent gutters from freezing, it is essential to clean them before winter; This way we prevent water from accumulating in them. We have already told you before how to prevent gutters from freezing; If you want to know more visit this link .

To prevent the freezing of pipes it is necessary that they are well insulated from the cold; both those inside the home and those outside; which have to be buried deep enough.

Maintain the HVAC system

If there is something that can be a problem during the winter, it is having a furnace or heat pump that is not working properly.

In the case of gas boilers, we recommend that you pass the periodic inspections recommended by manufacturers and supply companies; They are free and are usually done once a year.

In the case of heat pumps, it is necessary to replace the filters of the same to avoid forcing the equipment and that it ends up breaking. Think that a new filter has a cost of about 20 or 30 euros, while the repair of a system can go up to 2000. So it is a highly recommended investment.

Boilers and heat pumps are the two most common HVAC systems for a home; however there are some others. Be that as it may, it is highly recommended to carry out a review of the entire system before winter.

Gutter cleaning and maintenance

We have already said it before; but the maintenance and cleaning of gutters is something fundamental . Gutters that do not drain water well can damage the roof, the facade, even the foundation of the house. It is important to be aware of this and perform maintenance and cleaning during the fall; so that in winter our gutters are in good condition and clean.

We recommend that the cleaning and maintenance of the gutters be done by a specialized company. This way you will always get the best results and the guarantee that your gutters will never cause any problems or damage to your home.

Review security systems

This is just as true for single-family houses as it is for blocks of flats. Reviewing all the active and passive safety elements is a fundamental part of preventive maintenance. From smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency signs, security doors, etc. All these elements represent a guarantee of safety and well-being for the inhabitants of any property. So reviewing them periodically is a task that we should not miss.