10 Steps To Keep Your House Safe And Warm For Winter

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Reverse Your Ceiling Fans If your ceiling fan has a reverse switch, use it to run the fan's blades in a clockwise direction after you turn on your heat. Add weatherstripping as needed around doors, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home. Clean the Gutters If your gutters are full of leaves and other detrius, water can back up against the house and damage roofing, siding and wood trim. Divert Water Any home-repair expert will tell you that the secret to home maintenance is moisture management: keep water outside and away from the roof and the foundation. If you don't have frost-proof faucets, as homes more than ten to 15 years old typically do not, turn off the shut-off valve inside your home. Test Your Sump Pump Slowly pour several gallons of water into the sump pit to see whether the pump turns on. Call a Chimney Sweep Before you burn the Yule log, make sure your fireplace, or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal, as well as the chimney and vents are clean and in good repair.