Inspecting your home on a regular basis and keeping up with maintenance tasks is a best practice that all homeowners should aspire to.  It will help to protect your investment and also helps to ensure that, when the time comes to sell, buyers will see the same value in your home that you do.  Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it’s important to get into the habit of completing these checks regularly so that you  stay on top of routine maintenance and prevent problems before they have a chance to take root. 

With winter well underway, it’s important to establish a regular schedule to help prevent the most common – and also costly – problems from occurring.  If you see something you think needs professional input, or if you don’t feel comfortable performing some of the tasks listed below, or don’t have access to the necessary equipment, you may want to call in a professional or a handy person.  This is also a good idea if you’re not entirely sure what the best coarse of action is.  Write down the task in questions, your thoughts, concerns and what you can see, or take a picture to show the pro exactly what the issue is.  The more information they have, the more likely they’ll be able to help you in an effective and efficient manner.

With thanks to Home Handyman magazine, here are some suggested winter home maintenance tasks:

• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation systems, such as heat recovery ventilator filters, should be checked every two months.
• Clean your humidifier two or three times during the winter season.  For you newbies, humidifiers and dehumidifiers are generally found attached to or next to the furnace.
• Vacuum bathroom fan grills to ensure proper ventilation. 
• Vacuum radiator grills on the back of refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays. This greatly helps to keep the appliances energy efficient.
• Vacuum fire and smoke detectors, as dust or spiderwebs can prevent them from functioning. While you’re at it, make sure batteries are recent and replace any that may be more than 6 months old.
• Check gauges on all fire extinguishers, and recharge or replace as necessary.  You have a fire extinguisher at home, right?  If not, get one.
• Speaking of fire, examine your fireplace/woodstove/chimney for cracks and debris.  If you didn’t get the chimney cleaned before the winter, consider purchasing a fire log that reduced creosote build-up (available at most hardware stores).
• Check door and window locks and hardware, and lighting around the home’s exterior.  Good security habits can prevent unpleasant situations from ever happening.  
• Monitor your home for excessive moisture levels – for instance, condensation on the inside of windows and/or window frames can cause significant damage over time and eventually pose serious health problems.
• Since you’re already looking at them, examine windows and doors for ice accumulation or cold air leaks.  If found, make a note for repair or replacement in the spring.  
• Check all faucets for signs of dripping and change washers as needed. Faucets requiring frequent replacement of washers may be in need of repair or replacement. Keep in mind though, that if we’re experiencing extremely cold temperatures, experts say colder than around -10C, you might want to keep any taps that are located close to exterior walls at a steady drip overnight or while the house is empty (and therefore likely colder).  The small but steady flow of water and prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
• If you have a plumbing fixture that’s not used frequently, such as a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, briefly run some water to keep water in the trap.  Test your sump pump too – the last thing you want is a basement flood during winter weather – and consider installing a back-up power source for it.
• Clean drains in the dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls.  Prevent clogs before they happen.
• Test plumbing shut-off valves to ensure they’re working and to prevent them from seizing.  Sounds simple enough but I know first-hand that when a plumbing emergency strikes, you want to know exactly where the necessary shut-off valve is and that it’s not frozen stiff!
• Examine the attic for frost accumulation. Take a look at your roof for ice dams or icicles.  If there’s a lot of ice build up, you may have an insulation issue.  If you can see excessive frost or staining of the underside of the roof, or ice dams on the roof surface, be sure to have an insulation or roofing expert look into the issue.