yourhomewithamalia
- Nov 17, 2023
- 3 min read

Maintenance Tips – WINTER

As we have welcomed the winter season, it is now the time to tackle those activities that protect our home during the cold temperatures that are approaching. As you may know, damages caused by water, snow, and extreme cold can be severely costly; therefore, it is crucial to protect your home. To help you throughout this process, we have listed a number of home maintenance tips targeted explicitly to the winter season.

Prevent the Pipes from Freezing

Protect them with pipe insulation and duct tape. Turn the heater on in your home and open cabinet doors so warm air can reach the pipes under the sinks. Follow the additional instructions below for protecting your exterior faucets and pipes.

Turn off the exterior water supply valve. This is usually located near the water meter in the basement, or possibly the crawl space or garage.
Head outside and remove any hoses or connections to the faucets.
Turn the faucet on full blast and let it run until it trickles to a stop. This pushes out any excess water flow from the pipes, as well as other build-ups throughout the pipe.
Once the water stops, turn the faucet back off, twisting it tightly.
Consider purchasing an insulation cover to place on the faucet to protect it from the snow and other weather conditions over the next few months. You can find these at Home Depot for less than $5.-

Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors:

– Press the “test” bottom seen in front of the detector, a few seconds will pass before the test starts, but you’ll know the test in process whenever you begin to hear a loud, piercing siren that comes via the smoke detector. 

– To test carbon monoxide, hold down the “test” button until you hear two beeps sound off. Once you hear these beeps, release your finger off the test button. Recreate this event, but this time hold down the test button until you hear four beeps. If you hear four beeps, you know that a signal was sent to your monitoring station.

Clean Gutters

Well-maintained gutters can reduce the need to replace them, and the chance of roof damage. A clogged gutter can overflow and break, putting strain on the roof itself. It can also fill with ice, which will cause thawing damage and strain the guttering. For this we recommend getting in contact with a professional, contact Mantis Your Maintenance App to receive three estimates from different licensed and insured companies specialized in this service – mantis@yourmaintenanceapp.com

Have your Fireplace Serviced

Thoroughly cleaning your fireplace and chimney before using it for the winter will help minimize the risk of fire or injury. If your fireplace hasn’t been used in a while, schedule a chimney sweep for a professional cleaning from the top of the crown to the bottom of the firebox. This way you can rest easy knowing that the fireplace is safe, and ready to be used all winter. This service shall only be performed by a professional therefore ensure to get in contact with Mantis Your Maintenance App to obtain the best pricing.

Buy Winter Gear

Have sidewalk salt, good shovels, etc. ready for winter. You never know when that first snow will come! add a roof rake to your shopping list.

Hope you find these tips useful!

If you require professional assistance to complete the activities listed on this blog or any other type of home maintenance or repair project, do not hesitate to get in contact with Mantis Your Maintenance App E: mantis@yourmaintenanceapp.com C: (202) 710-6446