Get Your Home Ready Now For The Winter
This week marks the first real consistent cold weather of the season. More cold weather is sure to follow. Here are 10 important things to do now to get your home ready for winter:
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Turn off the outside water – Go to the interior cut-off water valve and close it. Man homes have two, one for the front and one for the back, make sure to get both of them. Leave the outside faucet open about a quarter turn to allow it to breath.
- Put away the garden hoses – Drain and put your garden hoses away in the garage or shed. It is important to drain all of the water out of them so it does not freeze and expand, causing the hose to split.
- Order fire wood – Only buy dry, seasoned hardwood. It burns longer and safer. Good sources in our area include Season’s Nursery in Gaithersburg and Potomac Garden Center in North Potomac.
- Call A Chimney Sweep -Before you burn the Yule log, make sure your fireplace (or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal), chimney and vents are clean and in good repair. That will prevent chimney fires and prevent carbon monoxide from creeping into your home.
- 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. The fan will produce an updraft and push down into the room heated air from the ceiling (remember, hot air rises).
- Caulk Around Windows & Doors – If the gaps between siding and window or door frames are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to re-apply exterior caulk. (Check the joints in window and door frames, too.) Silicone caulk is best for exterior use because it won’t shrink and it’s impervious to the elements.
- Move Water Away From Your House – Add extensions to downspouts so that water runs at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation
- Restock Snow and Ice Supplies – Don’t wait for the first winter storm to restock cold-weather essentials such as salt or ice melt. Check the condition of your snow shovels and buy new ones if need be. Start up your snow blower and make sure you have fresh gas for it.
- Wrap Your Windows – Use shrinkable plastic wrap to further seal your windows against drafts.
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Have Your Furnace Serviced – Make sure it is running smoothly and efficiently in order to use it the most economically.
These are all very simple and very easy things that you can do to make sure your home is ready for winter. Bundle up!
Remember, Allentuck Landscaping Company is always here to help you design, install, construct and maintain you lawn and landscape. Give us a call!
Allentuck Landscaping Co. is Your Residential Landscape Company
Phone: 301-5-515-1900 Email: info@allentucklandscaping.com
At Allentuck Landscaping Company, our mission is to create beautiful environments for people to enjoy. We see landscaping as a way to improve people’s lives.
The Allentuck Landscaping Company team has been delighting homeowners in Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia for over 28 years with our turnkey approach to landscape design, installation, construction and maintenance. Most companies try to serve many types of customers at the same time; homeowners, shopping centers, office buildings and the list goes on. At Allentuck Landscaping Company, we focus on one customer, you, the homeowner. We have a singular focus on bringing you the best landscape practices, the best customer service, and the best value for your home.
Services Provide – Master Landscape Plans, Complete Maintenance Programs, Plantings, Patios, Walkways, Retaining Walls, Water Features, Outdoor Lighting, Outdoor Kitchens, Trellises & Pergolas, Irrigation Systems, Drainage Solutions, Grading & Sodding. Fire Pits & Fire Places, Spring Clean Ups, Decks, Fences
Areas Served – Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, North Potomac, Darnestown, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Boyds, Clarksburg, Ijamsville, Urbana, Frederick and Washington DC.