TAKING CARE OF YOUR HOME IN ALL FOUR SEASONS - WINTER EDITION

The holiday season.  Pretty lights, family gatherings and presents under the tree.  But also one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of house fires.  

Just because the nights are long, the days are short and the temperatures are colder doesn't mean your home maintenance responsibilities have gone away.  

Let's talk about how to keep your home safe during the holidays and all year round.

FIRE SAFETY

- Let's start with having a functioning fire extinguisher in the house, especially if you have a holiday tree or wreath.  Make sure your fire extinguisher is charged and accessible.

- With holiday lights, don't overload your circuits beyond manufacturer recommendations, especially if the outlets have aluminum wiring or are ungrounded.  Use a timer to turn the lights off when you go to bed.

- Test your smoke alarms.  Trees and holiday baking are fun, but also dangerous.  

EXTERIOR

- If you have stucco on the exterior of your home, check for cracks.  This is especially important if you have EIFS stucco, a lighter foam backed stucco material that was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.  Stucco can crack in freezing weather, and if moisture gets behind it, your issues can multiply in a hurry, resulting in costly repairs.

- Check to make sure all exterior electrical outlets have protective covers.  Snow piling up against a hot outlet can be dangerous when those holiday lights are plugged in.  Make sure the covers are secure.  

- Clean out your basement window wells to get rid of any late seasons leaves that may have fallen.  Also, make sure that if your window wells have drains that those drains are accessible and not buried under leaves and debris.  

- Ensure your exterior hoses and disconnected from the faucet, and it's not a bad idea to make sure you have frost-proof covers on your hose bibs if they are older or north facing.  

HVAC

- Change the furnace filter, again.  This action shows up every time because it's important, both in terms of indoor air quality and because a dirty filter makes your HVAC work harder.  With component prices now significantly higher than they were pre-pandemic, this is the easiest preventative maintenance items in the books.
- Winter is humidifier season in Colorado.  If your furnace has a humidifier, turn it on and let is keep your house (and tree) from drying out.  A 30%-35% humidity setting is appropriate for the dry winter months.

WATER HEATER

- Your water heater is likely getting a workout during the winter months in Colorado.  Most plumbers recommend draining it once a year to flush out any accumulated sediment or mineral deposits that have sunk down to the bottom of your tank.  Remember, if you're having to heat your water through a half-inch layer of sediment, your water heater is going to work harder and likely have a shorter lifespan.  There are plenty of good videos on You Tube that can show you how to do this (and don't forget to make sure the power is off if your water heater is electric!).   

ATTIC

- With all that snow on your roof, take a peek into the attic and see if there is any moisture or dampness.  Ice dams forming on the roof can lift shingles and lead to leaks.  Check to make sure your insulation is not wet.  

CRAWL SPACE

- If you're looking for moisture in the attic, might as well head down to the crawl space too.  If there's snow piled up against your home or if you have poor drainage, this is the time of year when it will show up.  

GARAGE DOOR

- Your garage door gets a lot of use in the winter.  Make sure all hinges, rollers and tracks are properly lubricated.  Also, carbon monoxide poisoning is a greater threat, especially if you're the type who likes to warm up your car in the garage (with the garage door open, please!) before heading off to work.  Your garage entry door coming into the house should have a self-closing hinge and shut securely behind you whether you're coming in or going out.  

Remember, this is not an exhaustive list... these are basic seasonal maintenance reminders.  There are plenty of great sources online or manuals at your local bookstore that you can reference to transform yourself into a home maintenance professional.  

Happy holidays!

TAKING CARE OF YOUR HOME IN ALL FOUR SEASONS - FALL EDITION

Around our house, the leaves on the maple trees start to turn in September.  It's my favorite time of year, as sunsplashed 75 degree days turn to 65 degree days turn to 55 degree days followed eventually by... the first snowfall.

Fall is a very important time for homeowners in Colorado, as a number of important maintenance items need to be schedule to coincide with the changing of the seasons.

Here's the autumn edition of "Taking Care of YourHome in All Four Seasons".

EXTERIOR

- All those leaves that have accumulated in your window well need to go somewhere!  How about bagging them up and composting them, or finding out when your city is sponsoring a leaf and branch dropoff day?  

- To keep an eye on those beautiful fall colors, you'll want to wash and rinse your windows and screens. 

HVAC

- Every couple of years (or more often if you have pets), it makes sense to have your home duct system professionally cleaned with a monster vac or other heavy duty cleaning system.  Sucking all that dirt, dander and debris out of your vents means you won't be breathing it in.  

- On the subject of vent cleanings, don't forget about your dryer vent.  Lint that backs up or clogs your vent becomes a very real fire hazard.  There are many professional services that will clean your dryer vent for under $100.  Meantime (and I hope this isn't news to you), you always want to make sure your lint trap is cleaned and free of debris after every load of laundry.

- For most homes, a gas fired furnace presents a legitimate safety hazard if it's not regulary cleaned and serviced.  Have a professional inspect your furnace components for damage and then clean those parts throughly.  Doing so annually can add years of life to your furnace, as well as added safety and peace of mind.  

- When you set your clocks back in the fall, it's also a good time to replace your battery backup in your home thermostat.  

- We're kind of like a broken record on the subject of furnace filters.  Change them often and use the cheaper ones from Ace or Home Depot.  

ROOF AND GUTTERS

- By fall, wasps, hornets and nesting insects should be mostly dormant.  Knock down any nests under your eaves or deck so that you don't have a larger nest in the spring.  

- Walk around the perimeter of your home and take (yet another) look at the roof for evidence of lifting or torn shingles or flashing that may have come loose.  If you see bruises (which look like spots) on your roof from a summer hail storm, call a roofer for an evaluation.  

- You'll want to clean the gutters, probably more than once.  As the leaves come down in the fall, your gutters fill up with leaves.  And if your gutters are full of leaves, water will pool and freeze.  I use a leaf blower to clean my gutters.  If you have a better tool, let me know.  

- Check inground drains to makes sure they are not clogged with leaves or debris.  Remember that water is the enemy of houses, and if your drains aren't draining, that water must be going somewhere.

LAWN AND LANDSCAPING

- This is one of the easiest and most important things to do, yet so many people fail at this.  Have your sprinkler lines drained and blown out professionally before the first hard freeze, no later than October 15 at the absolute latest.  I have spent tens of thousands of dollars (literally) repairing damaged sprinklers through the years when clients either buy or sell homes where this has been done improperly, or not at all.  Unless you live someplace in Colorado where the ground magically doesn't freeze, blowing out your lines is a non-negotiable fall maintenance item.  

- Remove and store pond pumps.  They're going to freeze and crack.  Period.  

FIXTURES AND APPLIANCES

- Test smoke detectors and if they are more than 10 years old, replace them.  

- Winter means you're going to be inside.  Colorado state law requires that you have functioning carbon monoxide detectors within 15 feet of any sleeping area.  They are $30 at Home Depot, a cheap and easy life insurance policy if your furnace starts spitting out carbon monoxide.  

- If you have a range hood filter, pop it out and drop it in the dishwasher.  If you can't find it, it's the greasy, gross, dirty metal thing underneath your microwave and over your stove.  

- Replace batteries for any remote control fans.  Nothing is worse than pushing the overhead light button in the middle of the night only to have it be... dark.  

- Don't forget to wipe down your ceiling fan blades.  In the fall you can have warm days or cool days, but dust never sleeps.  

- Flip your mattress. (Can you tell I'm compulsive about this?)

FIREPLACE

- If you have a gas burning fireplace, call a technician out to clean and service it.  A clean burning gas fireplace will offer better energy efficiency, a safer experience and nice clean glass will make the whole notion of a warm fire on a chilly fall evening much more enjoyable.  

- If you have a wood burning fireplace, have a chimney sweep clean and inspect it.  And if you store firewood, don't pile it up against the side of your house unless you want critters, insects and spiders to spend their days searching for access points into your home.  

WATER AND PLUMBING

- Disconnect hoses before temperatures drop below freezing.  Frozen spigots are the worst!

- When the days get colder, turn up the settings on your humidifier.  In Colorado 30% - 40% humidity settings are about right. 

- Test the sump pump (if you have one).  When the first big snow falls, all that snow is going to melt and end up in your sump, or possibly your basement if your pump isn't working.  

MISCELLANEOUS

- Now that it's getting colder and most of us are wearing socks or slippers in the house, consider getting the carpets cleaned.  All that barefooting around the house in the summer comes with a grimy aftermath, making autumn a great time to get your carpets cleaned.  

- Sweep out the garage one more time before the first snow falls.  Blow out any leaves or debris and get your garage ready to do its job for the next six months, which is to keep you and your car warm and safe and out of the cold that marks winter in Colorado.  

TAKING CARE OF YOUR HOME IN ALL FOUR SEASONS - SUMMER EDITION

Ah, sweet summer time.  Pool days, iced tea, barbecues and lush green lawns.  

What could there possibly be to worry about?

As is always the case, you will never run out of small projects when you are a homeowner, even during these glorious days of summer.  The list may be a little shorter during the summer, but all of it still matters.  So without further adieu, here are some things you should be keeping up with around those camping trips and days at the lake.  

EXTERIOR

- Time for power washing.  With warmer temperatures allowing your home to dry more quickly, it's a good time for a high pressure wash to rinse off all of that dirt, pollen and debris from teh spring..  

- Longer days means more hours of gazing outside.  Best to do so through clean windows and screens, so take a few hours to wash windows and screens (inside and out) and you won't regret it.

- Stain or paint fences and decks.  This can turn into a big job, so you might want to get some help, but if you're going to be outside there's no better time to freshen up fences and decks with a new coat of paint or stain.  

HVAC

- No matter what time of year, you'll always want to change your furnace filter.  Some inspectors recommend you do it monthly, you certainly should do it at least once a quarter.  All that air being pulled through your intake vents is circulating right through your HVAC system, so this is especially critical if you have pets.   

- Also remember to verify that your humidifier is turned off in the summer.  Humidifiers are designed for dry, arid climates, and in Colorado it/s generally much dryer in winter than in summer.  

ROOF AND GUTTERS

- Walk the perimeter of your home and visually examine the roof.  Look for loose or lifted shingles or flashing.  Also, this is the time of year when wasps and hornets are most active.  Removing small nests promptly will prevent them from become large nests later.  

LAWN AND LANDSCAPING

- Check sprinkler heads for spray patterns, look for dead spots in the lawn.  Lawn mowers can bump up against sprinkler heads, so can kids playing in the yard.  Watch your sprinkler system cycle through all zones and make corrections as necessary.  

FIXTURES AND APPLIANCES

- Reverse ceiling fan blades to make sure they are pushing air down in the summer, clean the blades to get rid of that excess dust.  

- Rotate and flip mattresses to prolong their life.  (And don't forget to wash the sheets while you're at it!)

WATER AND PLUMBING

- For increased energy efficiency, it's okay to turn your water heater settings down a notch or two during the summer.  Maximum water temperature from an open faucet or shower head should be about 120 degrees, but who wants to take a 120 degree shower in the summer?  

MISCELLANEOUS

- Ensure your fireplace damper is closed as insects may nest in your chimney and this will keep them out of the house.

- Also wash and rinse all doormats and outdoor rugs.  

Did we miss anything?  Let us know and we'll add it to the list.  

Otherwise we'll be out back in the hammock with a good book and an ice cold lemonade!  

TAKING CARE OF YOUR HOME IN ALL FOUR SEASONS - SPRING EDITION

When you purchased (or built) your home, you likely performed a home inspection. 

But what about AFTER you've closed on your home?  How do you stay on top of maintenance items after that?  

We've put this guide together to provide some good reminders about how to stay ahead of things and keep your home in tip top shape.

Here's the spring edition of "Taking Care of Your Home in All Four Seasons":

EXTERIOR

- Inspect the foundation for cracks.  Dozens of freeze/thaw cycles through the winter months in Colorado can cause the ground to shift and snowmelt has likely accumulated against your foundation.  Always remember the first rule of home inspections - water is the enemy of houses.

- Seal any gaps around your windows or that have developed in your siding.  Keeping water out is among your most important responsibilities.

- Check for gaps or cracks that may have formed in driveways or walkways.  Use a sealant to keep water from spring rains from penetrating those cracks and getting underneath the concrete.

- Clean the windows!  Soon enough, things will be greening up and you've likely got months of water stains that have built up on the glass.  Let the sunshine through.

HVAC

- Change the furnace/AC filters.  Some inspectors recommend you do this every 30 days, others recommend you do it at least once a quarter.  Air filters are cheap and do a good job of pulling dust and debris out of the air circulating through your home, especially if you have pets.  And while there are some expensive hypoallergenic filters out there, my inspectors have always recommended the cheaper ones.  Extra thick air filters make your furnace and AC work harder, shortening their lifespan.  In this rare instance, cheaper is usually better.

- Get the AC serviced before you hit that string of 95 degree days.  Doing it in spring puts you ahead of any problems and checks it off your to do list early.  Your AC is full of moving parts that can collect dirt, dust and grime.  And your condenser outside can and should be fully washed down at least twice a year as well.

ROOF AND GUTTERS

-  Clean the gutters.  Chances are you've had leaves, dirt and muck buried under snow for much of the winter, especially on the north side of your home.  Wash out the gutters so they can do their job.

- Visually check your roof for any lifted flashing or torn shingles.  It's not a bad idea to get the roof inspected once a year, or after one of those big spring Colorado hailstorms rolls through.

- Check your downspouts and inground drains.  A functioning drainage system is supposed to take water from your roof and get it away from your house, not dump water up against it.  This is one of my main pet peeves... I see so many homes with disconnected downspouts, missing extensions or backed up drains.  Do you not remember?  Water is the enemy of houses!

LAWN AND LANDSCAPING

- It's springtime, finally (or almost)!  Trim trees and shrubs, add mulch to your planter beds, seed your lawn and aerate if necessary.  Dogs can do a lot of damage to a dormant lawn through the cold winter months, so if you want to a great looking lawn in the summer, help by priming it for the upcoming growing seasons.

- Have a professional turn on your sprinkler system, preferably after April 15.  Another pet peeve - I have seen countless examples of sprinkler systems being damaged or ruined by not properly being shut down in the fall.  Put yourself on a six month calendar.  Sprinklers off no later than October 15, sprinklers back on no earlier than April 15.

FIXTURES AND APPLIANCES

- Wipe down your (dirty) ceiling fan blades and reverse the direction so that the circulation pushes cooler air down into living areas.  Nothing wrong with swapping out light bulbs after a long winter of use, either.

- Turn off the humidifier on your furnace, if you have one.  If you leave the humidifier on, which circulates water through your HVAC system to create humidity during the dry winter months, it will turn to ice during the summer months when you're blasting the AC.  

- Clean or replace the hood/range vent in the kitchen, if you have one.  These vents have been sucking up smoke, oil and grease all winter.  Like so many home maintenance steps, it's easy to do... but also easy not to do.

FIREPLACE

- If you have a wood burning fireplace, close the damper when fire season is over.  No one wants critters falling into their living room.  And as a matter of practice, if you store wood, don't put it up against your house unless you want to have a giant critter nest butting up to your foundation.  

WATER AND PLUMBING 

- Don't forget to check the sump and test your sump pump (if you have one).  Spring rains can lead to basement floods.  A working sump pump should eject water through a pipe and to the exterior of your home.  If it empties into a drain line, it's not to code.  

MISCELLANEOUS

- Sweep out the garage.  If you use a garden hose, be careful.  Most garage slabs will drop over time, and if you allow water to penetrate the perimeter of your slab, it increases the likelihood of it settling or sinking.  I recommend that if you do use a hose, don't wash it out more than twice a year, and try to do it when the weather is warmer.  

This is not an all-inclusive list, but it's probably quite a bit more than you were thinking of doing on your own.  It goes without saying, but homeownership is a huge blessing, but also a huge responsibility.  

And best of all... one day, when we partner together again to sell your home... chances are it will sell faster and for more money because you stayed on top of your maintenance schedule in all four seasons.  

Now get outside and enjoy the spring!