November home maintenance tasks you should do right away

As usual, we are starting the month with a friendly reminder of a few important home maintenance tasks you should tackle before it gets too cold. The first couple weeks of November typically mark your final opportunity to complete any fall related maintenance in anticipation of winter.

Tarion Warranty Corporation provides a great list of important things you should do around your home this month, and we’re going to elaborate on a few of them for you.  

Check your attic

If you have any roof damage that’s allowing the elements to enter your attic, this is your final opportunity to address it. Once the cold hits and snow is falling, good luck getting a roofer to come fix any damage. If you do find someone, it’s going to cost you. If you think there might be some damage but can’t really tell, we recommend placing a call for an inspection right away. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Look into your floor drains

If you walk into your basement and smell something funny (mostly unpleasant), it could be because your floor drains are dry. There’s a pipe designed to hold water, which prevents sewer gases from entering your home. If your floor drain is dry, go ahead and pour some water into it. It should drain. If it starts flooding, it means you have a clog. You may be guilty of sweeping dirt directly into it – that’s a no-no. If it’s clogged, you need a professional.

Clean your furnace filter

We’ve had a few chilly days already. You may have already turned on your furnace. If you have, we hope you’ve cleaned the filter or replaced it. Last winter, your furnace worked hard for months, and the filter collected pet hair, dry skin, and a bunch of other debris floating in your air. If the filter is full, it will not be able to improve your air quality and will actually make your breathing air worse by blowing dust throughout your home.  

Scope out any condensation

If you have condensation on any of your windows, it’s because there’s too much moisture in your home. The warm air in your home is condensing on the cold windows. It’s not the end of the world if you notice some condensation, but excessive moisture can lead to issues like mold. You should probably get a dehumidifier for the room with a lot of condensation on the windows. If you have plants in the room, you can also try moving them somewhere else.   

Reset GFCI

Outlets near water in your home likely have switches on them. They are a safety feature designed to trip when there’s a current imbalance. There should be a Test button and a Reset button. Make sure everything plugged in is turned off and then push Reset. You should do this once a month.

Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

This is another thing you should do every month or at least quarterly. Make sure the batteries are fresh and everything is functioning properly. Your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector are two things in your home that you never want to fail.

Many of these tasks can be tackled over the weekend, so make sure you take the time to ensure your family is safe and comfortable as we approach the end of fall!