Don’t Get Caught by the Cold!
Jim Russell, HCCA VP

It’s the start of winter and time to make those cold-weather preparations that were neglected this past fall. This is your last chance before the February Freeze sets in, so read this list of winterization checks carefully! If you make the time now, you'll likely save yourself loads of trouble later on - because something always seems to go wrong at the worst possible time.

1. Roof
Start with a visual inspection. If you can safely (crucial term) walk on your roof, look for missing or broken shingles, missing flashing (the metal coverings around openings and between valleys) and sagging gutters. Another overlooked part of the roof is the chimney. All chimneys should have a cap, which keeps debris, animals and moisture from entering the opening. The way it rains up here, chimneys almost always require a cap to prevent substantial amounts of water from affecting your home over the years. On masonry chimneys, look for loose bricks and mortar or missing bricks. If you can't make the repairs, find a reputable mason. Remember to be very safe if considering this inspection. If you can't walk on your roof, perform an inspection with a pair of binoculars.

Gutters and downspouts are also part of the roof system, and although this is a job for late fall, your gutters might still be clogged with old leaves, twigs and debris. Take an afternoon to clean out and repair gutters before the rain starts in earnest. Rotted wood often lies behind sagging gutters, so check their stability as you clean them out. If damaged fascia boards aren't replaced, interior leaks could follow so this check is important.

2. Siding
Whether vinyl, wood or brick, the exterior covering of your home can fail over the years. Vinyl can warp and buckle. Wood can crack, split and rot. Brick can loosen and decay. These failures can allow moisture through walls, eventually causing serious problems. Again, a visual inspection now can save you headaches later. Replace and repair damaged siding, or at the very least use silicone caulking compound to seal gaps. Remove dirt, grime and mold.

3. Windows and Doors
Cleaning, caulking and weather- stripping should be priorities. On older windows, you might have to replace glass, scrape peeling paint and dried caulk, and remove rotted wood. Signs of wood rot include crumbling and wood that is spongy soft.

On doors, squirt squeaky hinges and hard-to-turn locks with liquid graphite. Tighten loose hinge screws; replace missing ones. To check weather-stripping, close the door and, from the inside, run a lit candle across the edges of the door. If the flame flickers or goes out, you have a draft. Another detection method is to have a helper on the outside shine a flashlight around the edges of the door while another person examines the edges from the inside. If light shines through, there's an opening to seal.

4. Foundation
Start outside. The soil around the foundation should slope away from the home for proper drainage. If you haven't done so in a while, adding new top soil to create a slope is probably a wise move. Poor drainage around the foundation is a major cause of basement leaks and flooding. Use a masonry caulk to fill all cracks. Also, move any debris, firewood and outdoor furniture away from the home. In the winter, cluttered areas around the foundation can provide rodents and other furry creatures with sheltered nests. Repair cracks in concrete walkways and steps, and seal the asphalt driveway before colder weather arrives.

5. Heating & Cooling
Cover, store and clean portable air- conditioning units. Outdoor condensing units for central-air systems can be hosed cleaned of debris and covered with tarps. Turn off the power to these units at the service panel.

Don't forget your clothes dryer. Use a shop-style vacuum to suck up old lint collected behind the dryer, and remove the exhaust vent and remove any lint clogs. Lint that collects on the exterior vent also should be cleaned away.

Clean and vacuum baseboard heaters, heating ducts, and vents. They will be used intensively in the coming weeks and months, so efficiency will be helpful in keeping your bills low.

Change your furnace filter, and have furnace inspected by a professional, especially if you still have one of the older furnaces we tend to have in our subdivision.

6. Plumbing
Shut off the water to exterior faucets - these faucets should have a shutoff valve - and then open the faucet about a quarter turn. Pipes in basements and crawl spaces should be protected from cold air. Adding fiberglass insulation, sealing cracks and crevices with expanding foam and insulating pipes with foam tubes could prevent pipes from bursting this winter. Faucets exposed to high winds and prone to freezing should be protected with specially designed foam covers (available at hardware stores and home centers).

Get to know your plumbing. Learn how to shut the water off and know where your pipes are located. If your pipes do freeze, time is of the essence. The quicker you can shut off the water, or direct your plumber to the problem, the better chance you have to prevent pipes from bursting.

7. Trees
Trim tree branches away from your rooftop and exterior walls. In the event of an ice storm or heavy snow, you don't want broken or falling branches to damage your exterior. To protect an upright evergreen from snow damage, drive a strong stake into the ground near the trunk of the tree. Tie a rope to the bottom of the stake and, using the rope, wind up the branches in a circular pattern around the tree. This is a two person job on large trees. At the top, secure the rope back to the stake. Check guy wires around newly planted trees to be sure hose sections still cover the supporting wires or ropes so they will not damage the trunks in windy weather.

8. Garage Door
Clean and lubricate the tracks on your garage door. Use an all-purpose lubricating oil and wipe with a clean rag to remove dirt, grime and debris. Then, lubricate the track with a white grease. Tighten all screws and brackets. Replace worn cables, too.

9. Miscellaneous
Replace batteries and check if smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. If needed, buy new units. Replenish your battery supply and make sure you have a working portable radio and flashlight.

Make sure exterior steps and handrails are in good shape. Broken stairs and banisters can become dangerous when covered with snow and ice. Make repairs now to prevent someone from falling and being seriously injured.

Portions of these excellent suggestions were excerpted from an on-line article copyrighted by Newsday (c) 2003.