Living in Colorado Springs has some challenges when going about the annual duty of winterizing your home. The following tips you will find helpful especially for this environment, some of these tips come from personal and sometimes expensive experiences.
Colorado Springs is a GREAT place to live and the winters are not as brutal as the North Eastern states, in fact we can have days in the 60's in the middle of winter. With that in mind please read carefully the tips I propose, they are laced with problems I have seen in my Home Inspections.
DOORS and WINDOWS
Check the weather striping on your doors and windows, bad gaskets or weather striping can let in cold air and also moisture. On the exterior of doors and windows check the caulking around the trim and especially the tops. In winter snow can set on top of the trim for extended periods of time, if the caulking is deteriorated moisture can be introduced into walls or deteriorate trim and siding.
ROOF GUTTERS
Clean your roof gutters and down spouts of leaves and debris, clogged gutters can cause ice dams to form along roof edges and force moisture under roof shingles or behind facia and other trim. This can lead to moisture inside the attic space or deteriorate trim which can be costly to repair. Make sure down spouts drain roof water away from foundation and the ground itself is draining away from foundations, unlike the photo below.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
You should drain or blow out your irrigation system (especially if it is PVC) after the growing season and hard frosts start to occur. The bad part of frozen and broken pipes don't appear until spring when you re-energize your system. Poly piping is more flexible and forgiving but still should be blown out. If you don't have an air compressor and the knowledge call a professional, it can be cheaper in the long run.
YARD MAINTENANCE
Yard maintenance in Colorado Springs in winter can be challenging, the winter temperatures can vary from blizzard to spring conditions within a week. In dryer winters you should water lawns and young trees a few times, or when spring arrives you find a lot of dead grass or trees. With that in mind, when you do water make sure to disconnect your hoses from the hose bibs after use. Hoses left connected can cause hose bibs to freeze and rupture, when thawing occurs and you hear water running inside your walls you will remember, I should have disconnected that hose.
Flower beds close to your house should be cleaned, lots of dead leaves is a great food source for mold which can lead to mold spores which can invade your home.
FIREPLACE
Fireplace chimneys should be cleaned every year to prevent build-up and chimney fires. Make sure your damper is working freely, after you start a fire and the room fills with smoke is not the time to remember your damper. Make sure your spark arrester is in good condition and vent cap is attached well. Spark arresters are important especially in areas such as Colorado Springs due to the dead and often times dry foliage in the winter time. Brush fires are fairly common in winter in Colorado Springs and the surrounding area.
FURNACE
Furnaces should also undergo an annual cleaning by a professional, this can prolong the life of a furnace and makes the furnace more cost effective to run.
Keep your furnace filter cleaned and make sure you have plenty on hand, they are inexpensive and can save money on your utility bills. Make sure your venting is well attached to your furnace and water heater. If blizzards occur check to make sure your roof vent is clear to prevent carbon monoxide from building up inside your house. If you have an old thermostat consider changing to a programable thermostat the wiring is usually lo-voltage and color coded the same as your old thermostat and easy to install.
CARBON MONOXIDE & SMOKE DETECTORS
One issue i come across a lot during my home inspections which can be a show stopper when selling your house is the absence of Carbon Monoxide detectors. Change the batteries in detectors and if you don't have Carbon monoxide detectors consider replacing your old smoke detectors with the new combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Many deaths have been attributed to Carbon Monoxide. The new detectors are about $45.00, what is a life worth?
December 9th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
[...] zero this morning, with an unbelievable wind chill factor. A little too late to talk about “winterizing your home” (you should have done it already), but let’s talk about mitigating any damage that [...]