Don’t Forget these 4 Items on Your Winter Checklist this Season

You’d do everything that you can to protect your home and your family from harm, right? You can reduce the risk of a number of hazards by being prepared and by doing some ongoing maintenance. The upside is that some of these tasks will not only make you safe; they will help with your home’s energy efficiency.

Here are some essential items for your winter checklist. Ready to get started?

De-Icing Tips for Safer Homes in Winter

Having slippery walkways and driveways in the winter in Evansville, IN is not uncommon. They can be quite treacherous, and it is easy to slip and fall and seriously injure yourself.

To diminish this risk, stock up on de-icing salt and store it somewhere handy (like your front porch, garage or both). It’s a good idea to keep a little in the trunk of your car, just in case you need to de-ice your locks.

Be careful with de-icer. As helpful as it is, it can be toxic to pets and plants. There is even the potential that it could contaminate your water supply. Select more organic grade for less toxicity, when deicing your plumbing system.

Ventilate

It’s important to have a certain degree of moisture in your home to preserve wood floors and furniture and maintain good health. However, too much moisture will diminish your air quality with mold spores (health risk) and make it hard to heat your home properly.

Ventilate moist air with fans that exit out of your home. Open windows a crack for a few minutes now and then to get some fresh air.

Insulate

You need a well-insulated house in order to stay warm. Did you know that you suffer more heat loss out of your walls than you do out of your floors or windows? Also, did you know that about 35 percent of your home’s heat loss can be directed out of your attic?

Head up to your attic to inspect the insulation. Is it wet or torn? It may be time to replace it. At the very least, make sure that it is snug against the walls because it can shift during windy days in the spring, summer, and fall.

Test Your Alarms

Twice annually you should check your smoke and carbon monoxide detector alarms. Test that they are working and replace the batteries.

Pop off the lids and vacuum out the inside. Dust, debris and spider webs can accumulate inside, which will make your units work less effectively.

As a side note, don’t ever paint over your smoke or carbon monoxide alarms. The paint will make it hard for them to detect danger. For extra safety, place a fire extinguisher on each floor. Don’t forget to check the expiry date.