Upstate New York winters are hard on houses. Freeze-thaw cycles, heavy snow and months of running the furnace all expose small problems that were easy to ignore in July. A few hours of checking in the fall can save you an emergency call in January.
Here’s what to look at before the first hard freeze.
Outside
- Clean gutters and check downspouts. Clogged gutters overflow, and water that dumps next to the foundation ends up in the basement. Make sure downspouts carry water several feet away from the house.
- Shut off outdoor faucets. Close the inside shutoff valve, then open the outdoor faucet to drain it. Disconnect hoses. A frozen, split pipe inside the wall is an expensive surprise.
- Look at the roof from the ground. Use binoculars to spot missing or lifted shingles and damaged flashing around the chimney and vents. Don’t climb up if you’re not comfortable.
- Check the grading. Soil should slope away from the foundation. Low spots that collect water now will collect snowmelt in spring.
- Walk your steps, railings and walkways. Loose railings and uneven steps are a nuisance in fall and a real fall risk once they’re icy.
Inside
- Service the heating system. Have a licensed technician check your furnace or boiler, and replace the filter. If your system is older, ask how many years they think it has left. That answer belongs in your budget.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Heating season is when CO risk rises. Test every detector and replace batteries or units that are past their expiration date.
- Have the chimney inspected if you use a fireplace or wood stove.
- Test the sump pump, if you have one, by pouring a bucket of water into the pit and making sure it kicks on.
- Clean the dryer vent and check weatherstripping on doors and windows for drafts.
What if you find more than you can handle?
Most homeowners who go through a list like this find a few things that need attention. The harder question is which ones can’t wait. A useful way to sort them:
- Address now: anything involving safety (detectors, heating problems, loose railings) or active water getting where it shouldn’t.
- Plan next: things that are wearing out and will need money soon, like an aging roof or furnace.
- Keep an eye on: minor wear to recheck next season.
- Routine maintenance: the yearly tasks above.
If you’d rather have someone walk the whole house and build that plan with you, that’s exactly what a HomeForward assessment does. We serve Saratoga County and the Capital Region, and we don’t sell repairs, so the advice stays on your side.
