January – Mid Winter Maintenance Checklist

Welcome to the start of a New Year, and the first full month of winter. This is the time of the year when many individuals try to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with a list of New Year’s Resolutions. Instead of adding to your list of resolutions (unless one is keeping up on your houses maintenance), we are just simply going to provide you with this month’s Checklist of Scheduled Maintenance and wish you all a more prosperous & Happy New Year.

Maintenance Checklist

• The walk about – Grab a screwdriver, a vacuum cleaner with attachments, a rag and a notepad.
  • Make a note of any area’s that might need to be watched, missing or cracked electrical plates, missing or cracked caulking around the tubs, etc…
  • How old are the hoses on your washing machine? If older than 5 years, it would be a good idea to write them down & replace them
  • How old are your smoke & CO detectors – at 5 years we recommend replacing them
  • Don’t have a CO detector, even if you are all electric you should have at least one
  • Tighten up those loose screws on your cabinet drawer pulls, doors and doorknobs. Make sure all the locks and hinges are working smoothly – if not add graphite or an appropriate oil
  • Vacuum or wipe off your vent covers, under the refrigerator, the refrigerator coils, lightbulbs, the ceiling fan housing and blades.
  • Check you’re fire extinguisher charge, and if it is in the caution or dead area, mark it down for replacement
  • Grab that list from your notepad, write down which size AC Filters you have, and how many Carbon Monoxide (CO) and smoke detectors you have – head to your local home store, grab this year supply of HVAC filters, batteries & everything else needed to knock this list out
  • Change out your HVAC filter.
  • Change out your smoke alarm & CO batteries Smoke Detector Maintenance

Gardening & Grounds Checklist

• For all the plants and herbs brought inside, make sure you keep them watered
• Watch out for frost & hard freeze warnings – make sure you cover any plants, shrubs, or crops that may be damaged & cut back any damaged ones
• If you grow plants from seeds and need to order some, it is time to start getting your spring flowers and vegetables ordered – you might want to see if your friends & neighbors are also planning orders to get discounts and save on shipping
• Bulbs – if a warm snap happens, your bulbs that you planted earlier might start growing a little too early – if so make sure that you cover any growth with a new layer of mulch to protect them from the rest of the cold winter.

Other items to consider

• January is also National Radon Month because in most areas of the country this is the best time to test.
• If you haven’t taken down those Christmas lights: you might want to review this article Holiday Checklist – The day after
• If you want to get a head-start on spring cleaning or looking at organizing and de-cluttering your house – you might want to review this article on de-cluttering your house
• Having issues with condensation – check out FAQ: Why are my windows / walls wet or have ice on them?
• If you have been following our checklists, your house should be as energy efficient as it can be without the use of special gear or remodeling work being needed. If you have just gotten your most recent electric or gas bill and had a bad case of sticker shock (heat pump – make sure not locked on “emergency” heat), you might want to consider doing an in-house energy and weatherization check or get a Professional Home Health, Comfort, Energy Assessment or Audit.

As always, please stay safe; if you feel uncomfortable, do not understand how to complete a task, etc… please call in a professional.

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