Alright it’s way past spring clean-up, but there are still things you may want to check up on going into winter.
Every year there are things we forget that need our attention around the house. Because they tend to be “out of
sight, out of mind”, they become a problem until we finally pay attention to them. Usually it’s either too late or
we are pressed to sell our home and they come up on inspections.
There are really three things that need our attention every year. The main one, and most important is the
furnace. It really should be cleaned and serviced every year. We have it done on all our units annually. It doesn’t
take long for the peace of mind you get. The maintenance person does cleaning, checks the filters and inspects
the heat exchanger which tends to crack over time releasing harmful CO emissions. Once it has been serviced, the
technician tags the furnace with either a sticker or a physical tag with the date of the inspection. A history of this
service goes along way when it comes time to sell your home.
Next in importance would be the crawl space under your home. It should be dry and free of mold. Sometimes it
is a good idea to have the vapor barrier taped down to prevent moisture coming in from the ground, but in some
cases the ground water is coming in from the foundation and a sump pump is needed. In our case, our garage
is over the crawl space, so the water gets in though the micro cracks in the cement floor. We are taking steps to
rectify the condition and are also installing a fan that kicks on when the humidity reaches a certain level.
Finally, the attic. This is a one time check to see there is adequate insulation, but checking every once in a while
to see if “critters” have made a home in your home maybe a good idea. If they are there it’s probably not a good
idea to blast away at them as you will only tend to air condition your house. Traps and release is the most humane
and effective way to deal with the issue.
Anyway, whatever you decided to do, the important thing is to DO something in these three areas to prevent
headaches (sometimes literally) in the future.
Take Care,
Mary Cox
Posted by Mary Cox on
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