Winter is a wonderful time of year! It is a great time to sit down with family and friends, celebrate the Holidays, and enjoy the change of seasons.
It is also a great time to prepare for the colder weather and check a few things to assure you do not have any added exposure inside or outside your home. We have provided a checklist for you to follow of some important items you should address this time of year.
Please take a minute to review this checklist and reduce the chances that something happening that could damper this wonderful time of year.
As always, please feel free to reach out to your local CoSaint Financial independent insurance agent if you would like to discuss any of these items in more detail. We have an experienced team of agents here to help make sure you have a safe and Happy Holiday!
Winter Check List
Outside Your Home
- Check your gutters/downspouts and clean them if necessary.
- Plant your bulbs. Garlic needs to go in the ground in the Fall as well.
- Check the roof’s shingles for holes, rips, rot, or possible leaks.
- Mow the grass one last time and then winterize. Put the lawn mower in storage.
- Drain and pack up the garden hose.
- Turn off outdoor taps (faucets) to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
- Put away lawn ornaments.
- Put deck furniture and other summeritems in storage.
- Have the chimney cleaned.
- Ensure your outdoor steps are slip-resistant. Apply coat of slip-resistant paint if needed.
- Trim or cut down any large tree branches close to home.
- Get your septic tank pumped while the ground is still workable and not frozen.
- Check and replace any burned out or faded bulbs if you leave Christmas lights up.
- Dig the snow shovels out from storage and keep somewhere handy.
- If you own a snow blower, check that it’s working and doesn’t need maintenance.
Inside Your Home
- Check windows and doors for drafts and apply weather-stripping or caulking as needed.
- Replace your old thermostat with a new programmable one.
- Dust, vacuum, or wipe down your baseboard heaters.
- Ensure your home is well insulated (check the attic and basement for proper insulation).
- Replace single-pane windows with double-pane insulated ones.
- If window replacement is not an option, buy plastic to put another layer over the window.
- Insulate hot water heater with an insulating blanket.
- Check that the furnace is working and is not due for maintenance.
- Clean or replace the furnace filter if needed.
- Check or replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
- Vacuum your carbon monoxide / smoke detectors to remove dust. Test they are working.
About CoSaint Financial
CoSaint Financial is an independent insurance agency representing many of the leading carriers in the insurance industry. CoSaint Financial is committed to providing quality Homeowners, Automobile, Business, and Life Insurance products to our customers.
We strive to be the easiest company to do business with in our industry. Our agency is designed to deliver our customers the ultimate insurance experience by making it easy to shop products from the leading insurance carriers, easy to find guidance from experienced agents, and easy to communicate with our agency when questions arise. At CoSaint Financial, we put our customers in control of the entire process and are always there to help when they need us most.