Get In That Gutter!

Transition time! Baseball to football. T-shirt to sweatshirt. Dew on the lawn to frost on the roof. Are you ready for the big transition? How about your house? There are a number of things you can do to prepare your home for the unforgiving nature of a bold winter, both inside and outside. Here are some things to consider from our friends at genxfinance.com. Let’s start with outside your home:

Guttering It Out
Clogged gutters can lead to anything from roof damage to basement flooding. Your mission this fall is to stay one step ahead of the chief gutter-clogging culprit—leaves. It’s a simple job that doesn’t take too much time at all. Simply get a ladder, a pair of gloves, and dig in. Pull out all the junk that could be keeping your gutters from performing efficiently. Your objective is to clear a path through the gutters and down the downspout, so water flows freely away from your home. That’s the key; you want water diverted away from your home. Recent technology has added leaf blowers as instruments for blasting leaves from their perch inside your gutters.

Parking Spots on the Driveway
Things freeze around here. Then thaw. Then freeze and thaw again. That’s a recipe for problem concrete. To help prevent your driveway from cracking, now’s the time to seal your concrete. Local hardware and home stores have various options to do the job.

Chim-Chimney
Are you one of the lucky ones who can stoke an inviting fire in your fireplace when the cold weather arrives? Then you have another consideration for fall maintenance, the chimney. It should be inspected and cleaned before use. A clogged chimney/flue can be disastrous, causing dangerous gasses to build up in your home or start a fire. Many people pay a professional to be sure the job is done right.

Yard Haste
All the stuff that’s accumulated in your yard over the summer now needs to be picked up and put away. Hoses? Drain and store them. If you leave a hose attached to the bib on your house, it could freeze and lead to leaks inside/outside your home. The hose could also burst. Look for stray rakes or tools lying around. You wouldn’t want to step on those when they’re covered with leaves or snow.

O.K., now let’s focus on things to do inside …

Testing!
We’re usually reminded to check our smoke alarms when we set our clocks back in the fall, so if you’ve haven’t done this yet, do it now! Also, check carbon monoxide detectors. You don’t have them in your home? Both of these detectors are cheap (as well as the batteries to run them) when you consider that they protect you and your family. Head out to your local home center/hardware store, purchase enough detectors to cover your living space, and make your home a safer place to live!

Venting
Guess what causes over 15,000 home fires each year? According to the U.S. Fire Administration, it’s dryer vents. Be sure yours is free of lint buildup with no obstructions. And while you’re checking on that, check the outside vent to be sure it’s sealed properly so you’re not sharing your heat with the neighborhood.

Air-rrors
When was the last time you checked/replaced the filter in your furnace? Twice a year is the recommended changing schedule, but you should make monthly checks just to be sure the filter is not clogged/dirty. Buying filters in bulk is a good idea, as you’ll save money and have filters on hand when you need one. 

You Oughta Audit
A cold winter can bring some chilling heating bills if your home is leaking too much heat. Now’s a good time to check for likely culprits on the heat-loss front. Start with the attic, the number one source of heat loss. Take a peak … how’s your insulation up there? The U.S. Department of Energy recommends insulation with a R-49 to R-60 value for attics in Missouri and Illinois. That’s at least 16 inches worth of insulation. Don’t forget to inspect doors and windows. Weather stripping can wear down over time. Replacing it with new stripping or caulk is cheap and an effective way to save on heating. If you have old windows/doors, look into new, more energy-efficient models.

Thermostat, Stat!
Having your thermostat set on a comfortable temperature while no one is home is a waste of energy. With a programmable thermostat, you can have the temperature automatically lowered (increased during the summer) while no one is around, then have it kick back up right before you get home for a warm welcome home. It’s a real energy saver, and very convenient!

Many of us live in the Midwest because we appreciate the beauty of the changing seasons. Well, with all that changing beauty comes some responsibilities as homeowners, but with just a little effort, we can ready our homes for the annual transitions and enjoy the seasons with real peace of mind.

If you’re looking to save money with some energy-saving home improvements (new windows/doors, added insulation), remember that Vantage has great rates on HELOCs right now. Or maybe a home improvement loan is the better option for you. And don’t forget, right now you’ll have a chance to win one of 15 $500 Visa gift cards when you close on your loan by October 31!