Hummingbird Group
A fireplace gives the house a special touch. It can be used not just to warm up the space in cold weather, but also to decorate the room. However, the fireplace and chimneys can be one of the reasons that your house is getting colder in wintertime. The best you can do in this situation is to inspect and see if there are any problems or leaks.
Clear out obstacles: Check the chimney to make sure there aren’t any animal nests, like from birds or squirrels, leaves, or even ice (if you’re reading this when it’s already winter).
Check the damper: You should make sure that it’s opening and closing well and that it can be locked in the opened or closed position.
Check the chimney draft: The smoke should rise up the chimney. To ensure this is happening, you can do a test with a newspaper. Set fire to it and see what happens — if the smoke doesn’t rise up, call a professional to fix the problem.
Inspect the firebricks in the fireplace: Open mortar joints can cause fire to spread into the stud, so if you see any of them, repair them or call a professional immediately!
Water Pipes
Now we are going to the outside of your home, so let’s talk about winterizing the water pipes to have them ready for the other seasons as well. They are susceptible to freezing in cold weather and can be one of the most expensive repairs in a house.
Insulate exposed pipes: If you have any exposed pipes, such as in the crawlspace, the attic, or exterior walls, you should insulate them with foam insulating sleeves.
Exterior faucets: For your hose bibs, you need to turn off the water supply inside the house, disconnect your garden hoses, and drain the water they have inside.
Seasonal shutdown: If you have a summer house and are leaving the property for the winter, be sure to shut off the water supply and drain the plumbing system. This way, you will avoid a catastrophe if a leak occurs.
Knowing more about what to do in your home this winter will make the season very nice and relaxed. However, the winterization is not done yet, keep following our blog to learn more!
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