Winter Home Maintenance To Keep Up Your Home Quality And Comfort
The winter months can be cold and dark, making it quite attractive to hibernate from your home maintenance tasks until spring. Unfortunately, if you do so there are several factors that are present in winter that can wreak havoc on your home and put it in danger of requiring extensive repairs in the spring if you don't take action Here are some tasks you can complete in the winter to your home inside and out to protect it from damaging pests and the elements.
Manage Pest Control
Winter is a time of cold temperatures and less daylight hours, but don't allow these factors to make you lax on your diligence in protecting your home from pests. Mice, spiders, and other pests can make their way into your home's warm interior, where they can find quite a protection from outside's harsh weather. Be sure you take some time to prevent pest invasions by watching for signs of pests inside your home and taking action against them if you do.
Hire a pest control service to treat your home over the winter every month or so. They can recommend a good treatment schedule based on your area and the potential for certain pest problems. Mice can make their way through gaps in a floorboard or bent attic vent to come into your home. A pest control professional can place traps and recommend prevention strategies to block openings.
Bed bugs are no exception during the winter, especially with all the holiday travel you may make. Do what you can to prevent one from coming home with you on a vacation. In a hotel place your luggage on a luggage rack or in the bathroom. If you do have bed bugs inside your home, you can find evidence of them in places, such as the corners of your mattress. You can also see small black eggs and traces of their presence from small reddish brown stains.
Bed bugs can be a big concern of travelers today, regardless of your surroundings or income. Hire a professional to move them from your home, as this is the best strategy to ensure they are eliminated.
Roof Upkeep
Your roof can become damaged from snow and ice buildup that forms a layer of ice on the edges of your roof eaves. An ice dam is no joke and can happen when your attic is not properly insulated or your home's heat is escaping through the roof.
Ice dams will form as a thick layer of ice on your roof's edge and often a cascade of icicles over the edge of your roof. When you see this, it is likely the result of ice build-up upon your roof and often under a layer of snow. You can remove the ice dams with a chemical deicer on the edge of your roof or by spraying hot water upon the roof's edge. Be careful you don't damage your roof, and hire a professional to help you.
