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Posted by Melissa Lynn Galland on Nov 20, 2019 11:00:00 AM
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As the weather turns chilly outside, it's important to winterize your home. It really only takes a few steps to prevent cold-weather home disasters, such as frozen pipes or flooding from snow melt. That's what we call a smart move. We're all about smart living...in fact, we call it SMARTology. It’s the art and science of smart living.

Take the first steps to smart living by following these easy tips for winterizing your home. 

  1. Prepare Your Lawn: Aerating and fertilizing your lawn is one of the most important things you can do to encourage year-round lawn health. Experts recommend that you aerate and fertilize before the first freeze. It's best to mow and water your yard before aeration. And, you want to aerate before you fertilize in order for the fertilizer to penetrate the soil to the grass roots. Water your yard again if possible after fertilization for optimum results. 
  2. Winterize Sprinklers and Hoses: One of the main causes of frozen pipes in homes is water in underground sprinkler systems or hoses/spigots. In order to avoid this, you must winterize your sprinkler system. This involves turning off the water and draining the pipe from the inside of your home, then blowing out the water from the sprinkler system underground. Garden hoses should be disconnected from spigots and drained as well. 
  3. Fall Gradation: In addition to raking leaves, you should add soil and mulch gradation to your fall checklist. By grading the soil away from your home, you ensure that moisture doesn't get pushed toward your home. This becomes especially important as snowfall melts. 
  4. Change Your Filter: You know you need to change your filter, but you seriously should. It's a simple (though sometimes tedious) task that keeps your furnace working properly and your energy bills low. It's also a task that many homeowners forget about for months at a time, which can send your energy bill skyward and potentially contribute to other maintenance issues down the line. So, set a reminder every 3 months!
  5. Check External Outlets: Be sure your external outlets have covers to protect them from the elements. Also check for proper insulation around outlets, so you are not losing warm air from your home through your outlets. 

While winterizing may not be topping your fall bucket list, it is so important to knock these items out before the weather gets frightful. We hope this checklist will make it easier for you to protect your home for this season and for years to come. 

Got a question? Contact us! We're looking forward to hearing from you.