Get Your West Knoxville Home Ready For Winter

Lowering temperatures and falling leaves are a friendly reminder to West Knoxville residents that winter is looming in the distance. With the onset of cold temperatures, it is important to take care of some fall home maintenance to ensure your West Knoxville home is ready for winter. Maintaining your West Knoxville home will not only protect the value, but, hopefully, prevent any major repairs. Here are a few fall maintenance tips to ensure you West Knoxville home is ready for winter.

Roof, Gutters, and Downspouts.

Winter weather can do a lot of damage to your roof, gutters and downspouts. Trim back any tree limbs or vegetation from your roof, to prevent any potential damage. Be sure to clean out gutters and downspouts from debris that has collected over the summer and fall. Gutters and downspouts that are clogged make it difficult for water to drain properly which could allow it to seep into ceilings and walls and cause major damage. Another option is to invest in gutter guards, which will help prevent debris from collecting.

Waterheater.

Winter is a time when you need your waterheater the most, so be sure to double check that it is operating correctly. Be sure to check the pressure and temperature relief valve are operating correctly. Also, draining the sentiment from the bottom of the tank can help with the efficiency and heat transfer of your waterheater. For step-by-step instructions, check out this how to from the DIY Network.

Heating and Cooling System.

Much like your waterheater, having your heating system go out in the middle of winter can make life miserable. If you have a forced warm-air heating system, clean any dirt and dust from the exhaust vent and air shutters. If you have a gas heater, clean away any dust and debris from blower blades, motor and burner. Also, check out these additional tips for making sure your heating and cooling system is operating correctly.

Doors and Windows.

Help keep your home warm and your heating costs down, by making sure your windows and doors are sealed off properly. Replace or repair any stripping around doors and windows to help keep warm air in. Not sure of how to replace weather stripping in your doors and windows? Check out these tips to help make the process easier.

While this list is merely a guide for fall maintenance to help prepare your West Knoxville home for winter, it is a good place to start. Cold weather and snow can do much damage to your West Knoxville home if your not properly prepared. Start your fall maintenance early so your West Knoxville home is properly prepared when winter hits.