It’s that time of year again - Time to get your home ready for winter weather.

Winter home maintenance is very important. Not only will it help keep your new home in the best possible shape, but it is a critical step in protecting your new home warranty.

Please go through the checklist below to ensure your home is winter ready.

□   Change furnace filter

□   Clean HRV filter

□   Turn your humidifier to winter setting

□   Test your fireplace

□   Turn off your exterior hose bib shut offs and drain the bleeder line

□   Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector

□   Test your GFCI

□   Make sure eaves troughs are cleaned out

□   Check for any voids in your exterior caulking

□   Make sure window and door weather stripping is intact and all are closing and locking

□   Remove all window screens and make sure windows have adequate airflow

□   Check your attic for any windblown insulation and rake it out where needed

- A few important notes -

In the winter you will experience condensation on windowpanes. This is normal and is due to temperature variance and humidity inside the home. Ensuring you’re following the checklist above, keeping windows clear for airflow, and periodically wiping off condensation accumulation is critical. As your home ages it’s internal moisture levels will decrease and condensation effects will lessen.

Dry air can also cause creaks and squeaks to appear in the floor or stairs. This is also normal and will go away when humidity levels in the home reach optimal levels again.

If you have eavestroughs on your home is it very important to make sure they are cleared from leaves and get cleared of ice and snow build up regularly over the winter. Failure to do so can cause ice damming or leaks that would not be covered by warranty.

If you have any questions about how to best prepare your home for winter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer care team.