The Changing Season Checklist: Keeping Your Home in Tip Top Shape Throughout The Seasons
With each season comes a different strategy for keeping your home in the best possible shape. This is especially true for homes in Northern Virginia. Virginia houses are set in an area of the country that experiences all four seasons in full blast. In Northern VA you get warm and rainy springs, hot summers, chilly falls and very cold winters.
When it comes to the spring and summer, one of the most important things you can do is have your air conditioning units checked in order to ensure they are running properly so you stay cool with minimum cost. This is also the time to make sure your home (especially your basement) isn’t retaining excess moisture. Any moisture that settles next to your home during rainy seasons and when the snow is melting can cause massive problems.
Although these seasons are important to prepare for, in Northern VA the most destructive season is winter. Winterizing your home is the best proactive step you can take to prepare for the coming winter which will likely dump snow on you often. If you aren’t prepared for the winter you are in trouble.
The ideal time to begin winterizing your home is during the fall season. It is still warm enough outside for getting everything completed. In such an area of cold winter climate, the very best thing you can do is insulate your home as well as possible. The most important places to look for insulation troubles are doors and windows. If necessary, caulk any areas that have even the smallest gaps. If there is a small crack in a window, this must be fixed. Finally, take out the spring/summer screens and replace them with well-fitting glass instead. If you have a fireplace, now is the time to have it cleaned. Also check the damper to ensure it is functioning properly.
If you have a basement, ensure that everything is tightly shut down there. The better you winterize your home the lower your heating bill will be and the more comfortable you will stay during the beautiful (but cold) winter season.