With our severe weather in Central Oregon, there is a lot of things that should be done.   Here is a partial list of what we go through at Home Fridays for all our client.

1) Winterize the sprinklers by turning off and blowing out.  If there is a water feature drain it or make sure it has a heater for running through the winter (and turn on the heater). 

2) Gutters should be cleaned out and repaired.  Leaking or packed gutters can be major problem for ice dams during winter.  Gutters falling away from the house are also a convenient place for ice to build up.  Often times plastic clips are used to attach the gutters to the house.  These clips can not stand up to our rough winters and often break.   A metal clip is a safer bet.   If you use heat tape in the gutters or on the eaves – be sure it is turned on.   

3) Foundation vents should be closed and I like to use the styrofoam blocks.  I also cover most of the outdoor faucets.  The hoses should be removed (and moved into the garage).  There are so many faucets here that are not freeze proof – and why not spend the $6 for a little piece of mind.

4)  Annual furnace inspection.  By doing this you can extend the life of your furnace by 30%!  And the amount of damage that can happen when there is no heat — well lets just say a working furnace is priceless.

5)  Fireplaces – chimney’s should be cleaned regular.  All the wood should be ordered and chopped for the year.  Make a visual inspection of the fireplace to make sure no tuckpointing is in order. 

6) Take off the screen doors and window screens and store for the winter.

7) Check garage and other areas for outside pipe exposure (such as sinks, back bathrooms, or pump houses).  Make sure there is a method to heat the area - electrical tape and space heaters are common methods.

Stake out the driveway, walk ways and path to the garbage for snow removal.  Nothing is worse then trying to find the driveway under 2 feet of snow.

9) Change the batteries in the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.   Also, thermostats should have backup batteries replaced (some of them actually shut off when the batteries go dead).

10) Fall yard clean up.  The needles should be cleaned  so the grass does not die.  Trim up the bushes and trees and make sure nothing is on the roof.  Move dirt away from the foundation – making sure it is not on the siding. 

11)  Move the paint out of the garage, making sure it is in a warm place so it won’t get ruined.

12) Move the pots to the garage if they are not freeze proof.

13) The spa should be drained if not using it or checked to make sure the motor is in good condition.  Make sure the lid is in good condition.  A hot tub can evaporate in as little as 24 hours if the lid is left (or blows) open.  So it is very important to have all the tie downs in good condition.

14) Ceiling fans can be changed to run in revers and push the warm air down. 

15) Open all the doors and cupboards getting the ambient temperature of the house consistent. 

16)  We usually turn down the water heater as well if the house is not going to be occupied.

So as you can see there are a number of items to focus on when winterizing the home.  Let Home Fridays take care of winterizing for you!

It is that time of year when the critters are anxious to become your house guests.  It is not uncommon to find the mice trying to get in or the squirrels, even the birds.  We are busy at Home Fridays making sure the houses are secure and all the animals are excluded.  We have found a few interesting guests this year on our regular home wellness visits. 

At one house a racoon has moved in under the 2nd floor deck, above the hot tub.  He has found a perfect dry warm condo.  Unfortunately he likes to tear through the garbage in his free time.  The best way to get ride of ‘Ricky’ is to exclude him from his new condo and allow him to move on to a new area.  We hope Ricky finds a nice new home.

In another home the result of poor building practices allowed the birds to get inside the dormers.  The builder had left openings between the roof and a decorative dormer.  The birds and who knows what else, wanted to move in.   Imagine my surprise when I saw a bird on the inside of the window,  pecking to get out!   Thankfully, we got the bird out and the openings closed off. 

Most recently we have been combating squirrels – in a total face off!   They had a great hole in the ground with full access to the home crawl space.  When we closed off the access, they where not happy.  They went all around the house tearing up the foam foundation inserts and faucet covers – all in an effort to find a new point of entry.  It actually looked like snow with all the torn up styrofoam.   At this point the squirrels are going to need to find a new home.

If you don’t have Home Fridays checking on your home and making sure the critters are moving in – then be sure to check yourself and exclude all those unwanted residents.