Scrigit Scraper’s Guide to Fall Winter Home Maintenance

Cooler weather is here, and there’s much to do to get ready for the winter! Prevent the hassles of bursting pipes, high energy bills and more by opting for a thorough winterization. Follow these fall winter home maintenance tips for prepping your house for the cooler weather.Fall Winter home maintenance tips

Prep Your Outdoor Space

  1. This task tops our list because it’s the easiest to forget. Prevent rust and premature wear & tear by conditioning your outdoor furniture for the cold. Clean the pieces with a mixture of warm water and car wash soap to cut through the tough dirt and grime of the elements. Scrub the furniture with a soft brush; rinse with water and let air-dry.
  2. For furniture with signs of rusting, rub the area with a steel wool soap pad, such as S.O.S or Brillo, and don’t rinse to stop it in its tracks. The soap has rust inhibitors. Once the furniture is completely dry, cover it securely.
  3. Prevent bursting pipes during a freeze by draining the water from your outdoor faucets and garden hoses. If possible, keep your garden hoses stored inside!

Prep Your Indoor Space

  1. For fall winter home maintenance, sealing gaps in windows and doors with weather stripping and caulking is one of the most cost effective ways to cut down on energy waste in the winter months. Improperly sealed homes can waste up to 15% of your heating dollars! Keep drafts to a minimum by installing storm windows and doors, including in the basement.
  2. Grab your Scrigit™ Scraper to remove worn weather stripping and dried out caulk from around the doors and windows. After replacing the stripping, caulk any gaps. Pro Tip: Keep your Scrigit™ Scraper on-hand to easily remove remaining caulk residue!hand holding Scrigit Scraper
  3. Close the damper on your fireplace when not in use, otherwise it will function as a large open window and create a draft. This effective energy-saving tip costs you nothing! Make it even cozier indoors by reversing the switch on your ceiling fans so they blow upward, toward the ceiling. By reversing the fan’s direction, the blades move air upward and force heat that naturally rises back down into the room.
  4. Put new batteries in your smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors. Check the dates on the bottoms of these units. Replace any that are over 10 years old or don’t have a date. This includes both battery operated and hardwired units. They lose their effectiveness after 10 years even if the test button causes them to beep. Learn More.

Stock Up on Winter Essentials

The snow and ice will be here before you know it, and you don’t want to wait until the first storm of the year to identify all of the supplies you need to handle mother nature. Prep before the season’s initial flakes come down by grabbing these basic essentials:

  • Shovel with an ice blade (And remember snow brushes and ice scrapers for your cars.)
  • Heavy duty gloves and apparel
  • Scrigit™ Scrapers
  • Salt and/or Sand for icy spots
  • Flashlights
  • Battery powered radio
  • Batteries
  • Matches

Trust us, you’ll be relieved you have these items when the first 6-inches hit! A cozy, comfortable winter is made easy with a bit of prep work and smart planning as described in these fall winter home maintenance tips.