12 Point Home Maintenance Checklist for November

With the holidays on the horizon and the days becoming colder and colder (hello Stowe Mountain Resort opens in three weeks!), November quickly becomes a busy month. There’s a lot to look forward to, and prepare for (When are the inlaws coming?!?!) at this time of year. Get ready to batten down the hatches for the holidays and the long winter ahead by taking this to-do list head on, and then enjoy kicking your feet up by the fire and enjoying the holidays properly.

1) Inspect Furnace – Especially the filters!

2) Reverse Ceiling Fan – Reversing the fan helps circulate the heat for better efficiency.

3) Clean Gutters – Clear gutters reduce the chance of building an ice dam along your roof line.

4)Inspect Roof – Snow and ice is a heavy load on your roof, make sure it is sound!

5) Check and Weatherize all Windows and Doors – Poorly insulated windows and doorways are the biggest culprit of heat loss, take and hour and make sure they are sealed!

6)  Check Dryer’s Exhaust Tube and Vent for Lint and Debris – Your dryer’s exhaust tube takes moist air from one extreme to another. Helping dispel this moisture allows your machine to run efficiently…not to mention an ice buildup, or a fire along this line would be nothing short of a nightmare!

7) Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors – So the ambiance and the centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table is just right…until the fire alarm goes off! Jokes aside, making sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are operating properly could potentially save lives, don’t skip this one.

8) Turn Off Exterior Faucets – What does water do when it freezes? It expands. Save yourself the headache down the road and shut off the water to your exterior faucets…that way you are ready to hit the ground running for spring gardening season!

9) Clean Chimney – Enjoy the fireplace (or stove) ambiance guilt free knowing that you have a clean and clear chimney…In many places this is also an insurance requirement.

10)  Inspect for Unwanted Pests – As you start to settle into your home during the short, cold day so too will unwanted pests and rodents, may as well nip that trend in the bud!

11)  Vacuum Baseboards – No, its not fun, but when you kick on the heat after a long summer you don’t want to be kicking up months worth of dust and lint. Bite the bullet, this is an easy step towards a cleaner home.

12) Stock up on Salt/Ice Melt – It’s like the one staple grocery (paper towels anyone?) that you always need, and usually forget. A bag of rock salt is cheaper than your health deductible!

While some of these items may seem obvious, a little routine maintenance can certainly go a long way. It is helpful to keep in mind that hosting the holidays puts a certain amount of stress on the home and the utilities. So go into the holidays carefree and have an egg nog on us!

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