IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR TO WINTERIZE YOUR NEW HOME.
As the temperatures begin to drop, follow these tips to insure your home is protected.
HOSE BIBS
The new hose bibs we install on our homes are frost free. Please turn them off GENTLY after each use throughout the year. It is normal for water to drip from these faucets for a minute or two as they drain. Do not continue to tighten them. Also turn your hose bib off after each use. The continuous water pressure from a hose left on and connected to your hose bib will result in damage over time. And now that cold temperatures have arrived, a hose attached to any hose bib will cause freezing and permanent damage.
RAINGUTTER RX
Keep your raingutters free of debris. The fall leaf
and needle drop means your gutters are likely full. Even if you have
debris guards or shields, checking to insure that all of this material
is cleaned out before heavy rains and snowfall happen will help to
eliminate gutter and fascia damage from clogged raingutters.
FOUNDATION VENTS
Now is the time to close all of those foundation vents
you opened last spring. Protect your plumbing by checking and closing
foundation vents every fall.
DID YOU KNOW?
Many clients have their homes treated for spiders and
insects in the fall. If you have Concrete sealer on your garage floor,
check with your pest control expert to insure they do not spray liquid
pest control products on the sealed concrete surfaces at the base of
your garage doors. This liquid will contaminate the sealer causing a
gummy mess that adheres to and damages the rubber base of overhead
garage doors requiring the removal of the sealer and the replacement of
the rubber base.
“JUST SAY NO” to Deicers!
Despite the safety claims on those bags of deicer
products you can buy, do not use them on your exterior concrete. These
products will cause unsightly pitting, flaking and chipping of the
concrete surface. Traction sand is a better alternative.