October 2020 Theme of the Month

10/1/2020 (Permalink)

October 2020 Theme of the Month

The October theme of the month is all about preventing damage to your home during the upcoming winter! There are many different things you can do this time of the year to prevent damage from happening to your property, here are our list of the top 9!

• Check Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Device Batteries – While this is a more than once a year task, fall is a great time to start building the habit! Check and make sure the batteries are full and if not, replace immediately!
• Clean Out Gutters – When there is buildup in your gutters, they are unable to drain properly, and can cause water to run down the walls, into your home. This is especially important to pay attention to if you have trees close to your home!
• Check for Window Drafts – You are paying to heat your home, not the outside! Making sure the seals around doors and windows are tight prevents the warm air from escaping.
• Store Water Hoses – Draining of all water, then putting away your garden hoses during the winter season ensures there will not be a frozen pipe accident. When water freezes, it expands, and can easily bust pipes which can flood your home!
• Lawn Fertilizer – This may seem premature, but fall is a great time to get a jump on next summer’s grass. This gives the seeds all winter to work their way deep into the ground where they will be ready for new grass to shoot up.
• Winter Supplies Check – Here in Kentucky, we do not see very many bad snows, but when we do, it is sometimes a lot! Make sure to check now (before you are snowed in!) to make sure you have a good snow shovel or snow blower on hand. It is also a great time to check each vehicle you own for ice scrapers or anything else they may need during cold weather. You will thank yourself later for doing this ahead of time!
• Prep Outdoor Furniture for Winter – This can either be storing it inside a garage or building, or using specially made covers to protect them from harsh conditions.
• Fix Driveway Cracks– Even a small crack can cause major damage to your driveway. Even a small amount of water getting caught and freezing can cause major cracks (and expense to fix). Filling in the cracks now can prevent a lot of headache later!
• Check Air Filters – You may not already be continually changing your filters, and this is a great time to start. The less debris caught in filters, the better and more efficiently your system can run.

As you can see, several of these tasks are also related to preventing a water leak or loss to happen in your home or businesses. Winter is a harsh time of the year, and every little bit of preparation helps!