5 Tips to Button Up Your Home for Winter

It seems like autumn gets shorter and shorter each year — and it can be hard to get all your fall maintenance done before the snow flies. If you're wondering if you did enough to keep your home warm and secure, here are a few tips:

1) Clear and inspect your gutters. It's not exactly fun work, so you might want to hire a professional. Either way, you definitely want to make sure your gutters are clear and working properly. The downspouts should carry water at least three feet away from your home at the ground level to prevent moisture from seeping into your basement, according to Spokesman.com.

Ridgeline Exteriors has these tips for determining when it's time to replace your gutters.

2) Examine your doors and windows. You'll want to replace worn weather stripping and seal any cracks. (Remember, caulk needs to be applied at 40 degrees or warmer, and many adhesives need to be applied at 50 degrees or warmer, Spokesman.com reports.)

You definitely don't want your windows to look like this:

3) Shut off exterior faucets. Be sure to store the hoses in the garage or a storage shed, too, as suggested on PRWeb.com.

4) Remove or cover your air conditioner. Wall units should be removed or completely covered, while freestanding units should be covered on the top with the sides left exposed so the unit can "breathe," Spokesman.com recommends.

5) Inspect your fireplace and replace your furnace filter. Replacing or cleaning your furnace filter as needed will make your furnace run more efficiently (and save you money on your heating bills.) Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves also can be a great source of heat, but you'll want to have them inspected annually to ensure the flue is operating properly and buildup does pose a fire hazard, according to MyChimney.com.

As you're working your way through this list, you may discover you're ready to upgrade your windows to prevent drafts and increase energy efficiency or that your gutters need to be repaired or replaced. You might even notice that your roof has seen better days.

If that's the case, you should call Ridgeline Exteriors. They are a one-stop shop, handling siding, roofs, windows and gutters. From my interactions with them, I can tell you that Ridgeline Exteriors personnel can give you a quick and easy-to-understand assessment of your home's exterior condition and explain all the options. 

Ridgeline Exteriors is a Mastic Elite Contractor and a CertainTeed Elite Contractor, which means they have reached and maintained high standards set by these trusted suppliers. 

Call 207-432-0810 to schedule your free consultation, and let a Ridgeline representative conduct a full assessment of the outside of your home. You might decide to “Ridgeline Your Home!”