Prepare your home for winter.

It’s that time of year again the days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling and the rain has returned. Winterization is essential to keeping your home and family both comfortable and safe. Additional benefits include energy conservation and helping you save money. Timely inspections and preventative maintenance minimize disruptions and costly emergency repairs. With the right planning winterization is an affordable investment that you can budget for in advance. As a homeowner, these changes are a reminder that some preventative maintenance around the house is required. Here is top 5 list for must-do’s before winter: 

​1. Check Your Home’s Rain Readiness

You know the weather in Vancouver, the west coast gets a substantial amount of rain. As a homeowner checking that your properties ability to deal with water is crucial to preventing costly water damage. Take a walk around the exterior of your home next time it rains hard and look for the following:

Gutters – Are they flowing freely? If you can safely look inside make sure they are free of debris. If you can’t you should hear water running through the downspouts and water should not overflow the tops. Clean gutters divert the water from your roof away from your foundation. Clogged gutters can also cause water to seep over the back of the gutter, causing the fascia to rot. The bottom line is water damage is expensive to repair and gutter cleaning is an affordable way to prevent it. 

Paint protects the wood on your home against moisture. Once it begins to peel and flake moisture begins to cause rot. Even touching up problem spots before the winter months will save you money next time your decide to repaint.
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Windows & Doors – Caulking your windows and doors prevents moisture and mould. It’s an easy fix considering the alternative. We don’t need to tell you how nasty mould is. A good seal also prevents heat from escaping, reducing heating costs. Cold air continuously enters your home and hot hair escapes from underneath doors. Doors with an externally facing side cause energy costs to rise significantly, as homeowners offset the cold by turning up the heat. A simple remedy is to roll up a towel or thick sheet to fill the gap. However, draft guards are an inexpensive alternative that help save heat and money.  

​2. Inspect Your Driveway

Take some time to inspect your driveway for cracks. Damage to asphalt happens in the winter when moisture enters the cracks and can freeze (even in Vancouver). Filling the cracks and sealing the driveway will extend the life of your driveway and make it look better too!

​3. Prepare Your Deck

Remember to store your outdoor cushions in a dry area, all that rain isn’t good for them even if they are treated. Empty the soil from any clay pots you have store in your yard – frozen soil will cause them to crack.

4. Winterize Faucets and Sprinkler Systems

Similarly, you want to ensure that none of the outdoor water systems get freeze over. Drain and cover all these systems to properly protect them. To prevent freezing and cracking, drain all water from garden hoses and any other irrigation systems while you’re at it.

​5. Keep Your Roof Clean

We see it all the time. Neglected roofs full of debris and moss that look terrible and are causing needless damage to the property on otherwise well maintained homes. Roofs aren’t cheap and they protect your home from moisture. Debris and moss compromise this system and redirect water where it isn’t supposed to go. They also cause the roof to age prematurely.

Whether it's customers' windows, floors, or carpet-covered kitty condos, chances are, Peak Janitorial can clean them. The company sends a staff of highly trained cleaning professionals to homes and offices to clean carpets, windows, and everything in between with ecofriendly products. Depending on the client's preference, these scouring services can be performed daily, weekly, or monthly. In addition, Peak Janitorial offers floor-care treatments, including stripping, waxing, buffing, and tile and grout cleaning.

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