5 Outdoor Winter House Maintenance Tips

It’s important to keep up with your winter house maintenance to keep your digs in tip-top shape. This will help keep your family safe and prepared in the case of severe weather. 

There are a few things you can do inside and outside of your house to keep everything in order and prepared for the oncoming winter. Here are a few of the most important annual outdoor winter house maintenance tips.

1. Check fireplace and chimney
2. Check your roof
3. Trim tree limbs
4. Protect patio furniture
5. Prevent pipes from freezing

1. Check fireplace and chimney

If you don’t have a fireplace/chimney, feel free to move on to the next tip! However, if you do, this winter house maintenance tip should be at the top of your list. 

If you have a fireplace, it’s likely you don’t use it all year until winter, especially if you live in Texas. While it sits inactive during the warmer months, your fireplace and chimney can begin to collect debris such as leaves and bird nests, and flammable deposits of creosote. These materials can build up over time to become a fire hazard if not properly cleared out. 

Therefore, before it turns chilly and you get the urge to break out the marshmallows and light up a cozy fire, make sure you get your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned and cleared by a chimney sweep. This will not only keep your family safe, but will make Mary Poppins proud!

2. Check your roof

This next winter house maintenance tip is for everyone because if you have a house, you have a roof! Before the temperature drops in the winter, give your roof a thorough looking over. Check for roof damage like loose or missing shingles that could result in leaks from melting ice and snow. Additionally, check around your chimney and vents for any broken seals that might result in the same. 

Also, if you happen to have a flat roof, be sure to use a rake or blower to remove any leaves that have accumulated. Leaves on a roof (especially when flat) hold moisture and can lead to damage. 

3. Trim tree limbs

While you’re up there on the roof, take this time to also inspect the tree limbs near your house. Considering the freezing temperatures, winds, and severity of winter storms, your house is particularly susceptible to damage by trees. 

Therefore, an essential winter house preparation chore is to trim any dead tree limbs that might fall or break off in strong winds and cause damage to your home. Also, check to see if any entire trees might need to be removed as well. In the case of larger limbs or tree removal, it is safest to hire a professional. 

4. Protect patio furniture

In the warm and breezy weather of the spring, summer, and fall months, your patio furniture is absolutely essential as you sit outside with your family and friends and enjoy some barbeque and maybe even some cocktails. However, in the freezing temperatures of winter, not so much. 

Unless you’re recreating a German Christmas Market in your backyard, your patio furniture is not only unnecessary but susceptible to damage from the winter weather. To prevent damage, be sure to cover your patio furniture with a heavy tarp. Alternatively, if you can store it in a shed, garage, or basement if you have extra space. 

5. Prevent pipes from freezing

Another essential winter house maintenance chore is to prepare your pipes for winter. In freezing temperatures, water freezes and expands. This can cause your pipes to burst if they are not properly prepared. 

To prevent freezing in your pipes, insulate them in areas of your home that aren’t heated. These can be areas such as near windows and doors. Also, if you have a garden hose, be sure to disconnect it from the faucet outside. Lastly, if you intend to leave your house for any period of time (for example, if you go on a vacation to Disney World for Christmas), be sure to set the heat no lower than 55℉. The last thing you want after a vacation is to come home to water damage from burst pipes.

Keeping up with your winter house maintenance each year makes sure your house is in tip-top shape when you are ready to sell. Are you considering selling your home soon? Give Ruth Stultz a call to see how she can help! Ruth Stultz is a highly experienced realtor who understands Lake Conroe and Montgomery County better than anyone. When it comes to selling your current home or finding the perfect property with everything you want, Ruth knows exactly where to look. You can trust Ruth Stultz with buying and selling your home.

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