All the Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in November

As the changing seasons lead to more time spent indoors, November is the month to prepare your home for the cold weather. Keeping your home warm, cozy and safe this winter will be easier if you get ahead of potential problems by doing a few simple checks and chores now.

Here are all the home maintenance tasks you should complete in November.

Check your vents and crawl spaces for critters.

When the weather gets colder, wild animals may look for a good place to hide for the winter. If you have open vents or access to your basement, they can be an attractive place for critters. To keep them out, make sure you have vent covers installed and crawl spaces or any other exterior nooks and crannies covered or covered with heavy-duty metal mesh. This method will help protect against squirrels, raccoons, rats, mice, birds and bats.

Check fire and carbon monoxide alarms

If you have cordless smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, you should change the batteries once a year to make sure they are working well, and now is the time to do so. If you’ve already replaced the batteries ( maybe setting the clock back? ), check your hazard detection system to make sure it will alert you if there’s smoke or dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the house. As people spend more time indoors during the colder months of the year, there may be an increased risk of fires due to the use of space heaters, candles and cooking, and closing and sealing windows can increase the risk of carbon monoxide building up inside. Testing your detectors can help reduce the risk of seasonal problems.

Install weatherproofing

If you live in an older home or have poorly insulated windows or doors, November is a good time to weatherproof problem areas. Start by checking the seals around doors and windows. Check for leaks, broken or worn strips. If you find any gaps, you can use spare caulk to seal any holes. If you have large leaks around windows or doors, or old windows that are leaking too much air, you can also use a weatherization kit to temporarily seal the leaking holes with shrink plastic film. This basic protection from the elements will keep you warm and help you save on your utility bills.

Stock up on winter weather supplies

If you live in an area that can get a lot of snow and ice during the winter, now is the time to stock up on ice melt , shovels , and roof rakes . Inspect your snow removal tools and make sure they are in good shape before it’s time to use them. Replacing equipment before a hurricane can save you headaches during winter weather events. Now is also a good time to stash an ice scraper , snow brush , and snow chains in the trunk of your car. If you live in an area that gets heavy snow and ice, you should also leave a scraper and defroster in the garage or utility room so you can reach it if your car freezes.

Clean ovens and other appliances that collect crumbs.

Kitchen fires can be caused by toasters and ovens that have accumulated crumbs and other food particles. When the appliance heats up, the leftover food also heats up, and if it gets hot enough, your appliance could catch fire. Since people tend to stay home and use ovens more during the colder months, not to mention entertaining more during the holiday season , ovens and toasters may get more work this time of year. Checking the safety of your appliances in November can save you from disaster in the future.

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