{"id":4384,"date":"2016-12-23T10:10:53","date_gmt":"2016-12-23T18:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/?p=4384"},"modified":"2017-01-20T14:05:30","modified_gmt":"2017-01-20T22:05:30","slug":"steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2016\/12\/steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Home Safe &#038; Healthy in the Chilly Winter Months"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Winter is on its way and it\u2019s bringing shorter days, longer nights, and plummeting temperatures that will make you want to hibernate.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Let\u2019s face it, there is no escaping winter. With the big chill already hitting so many areas, you will want to be prepared so you can avoid unwelcome problems, and feel confident that your home and family will stay safe, dry, and warm.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Suggestions you can warm up to<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Make sure to have your flue and chimney inspected and cleaned by an expert every year, without fail. Cracks and birds\u2019 nests can mean trouble, not to mention that any buildup of creosote and soot can be a real fire hazard. Just one spark from a burning log can ignite a chimney fire. Cracks or blockages on the inside can also let toxic fumes, like carbon monoxide, into your home. Your chimney should be checked on the outside as well, for broken bricks and crumbling mortar which can cause costly damage.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>End energy-eating fireplaces<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When it comes to your damper, make sure it opens, closes, and seals tightly. Unless you\u2019re burning a fire, always keep the damper closed, so it doesn\u2019t draw warm air out and create a downward draft. This also saves energy. Metal dampers can leak air if they warp, so consider getting a reusable, removable chimney plug that inflates and seals the flue. If you don\u2019t use your wood-burning fireplace, block it off for the season with a seal from the hardware store and place a decorative screen on the hearth, so the seal is not visible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For those who do enjoy a crackling fire, keep a stockpile of wood on hand for cosy nights, or in case of an emergency such as a power failure. Fast-burning hot fires create less smoke and pollution, and can be a great source of radiant heat in the room. If you also have a gas fireplace, have it professionally inspected to make sure it\u2019s in good working order and that there is no risk of a carbon monoxide leak.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Get it out of the gutter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Falling foliage means it\u2019s time to grab your ladder, rubber gloves, bucket, and garbage bags, plus remove leaves and debris from your eavestroughs. Melting snow that can\u2019t drain can form an ice dam and cause water to back up into your shingles and roof structure, and inflict damage to your walls, floors, ceilings and insulation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Roof moss and algae also cause wetness and dangerous mould. While you\u2019re at it, clear downpipes and run water through the system. Gutter guards, or mesh covers can be used year-round to minimize debris buildup. If there is a problem on your roof, rest assured there are problems in your home, so reshingle your roof while Mother Nature is co-operating.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Stop blowing hot air and big bucks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Having a professional furnace inspection, cleaning and tune-up every year is a must. Regular maintenance can cut energy costs, prevent carbon monoxide leaks, and keep your home safe and healthy \u2014 especially when your furnace is cranked up and working full time. An underperforming or malfunctioning furnace in the dead of winter can be an expensive nightmare.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heating represents a large percentage of an average home\u2019s energy costs, and inefficiencies will cause that number to soar. Sediment buildup can compromise your furnace\u2019s performance and become a fire hazard. Change the filter monthly to maximize air flow and energy efficiency, and use the right filter \u2014 not simply the cheapest. Turn down the heat when you\u2019re away and keep it comfortable when you\u2019re home. Remember, it takes less energy to warm a cool home than maintain high heat all day.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now is the ideal time to also replace old thermostats with programmable ones. They\u2019re easy to install and you\u2019ll recoup your investment quickly. The new technology is Wi-Fi enabled so you can control the thermostat from your digital devices, even when you\u2019re not home. The cold hard truth is, if you spend a little time and energy now, you can save a lot of money and potential grief later, and enjoy this winter in comfort.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/news.nationalpost.com\/homes\/mike-holmes-steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-and-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Holmes : Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Home Safe &amp; Healthy in the Chilly Winter Months<\/a> | National Post<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Winter is on its way and it\u2019s bringing shorter days, longer nights, and plummeting temperatures that will make you want to hibernate. Let\u2019s face it, there is no escaping winter. &hellip; [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2016\/12\/steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\/\">read more<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Home Safe &amp; Healthy in the Chilly Winter Months &#8226; Rory C Real Estate | Oakwyn Realty<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2016\/12\/steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Home Safe &amp; Healthy in the Chilly Winter Months &#8226; Rory C Real Estate | Oakwyn Realty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Winter is on its way and it\u2019s bringing shorter days, longer nights, and plummeting temperatures that will make you want to hibernate. Let\u2019s face it, there is no escaping winter. &hellip; [read more]\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@RoryClipsham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@RoryClipsham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rory Clipsham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.roryc.ca\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.roryc.ca\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/steps-you-can-take-to-keep-your-home-safe-healthy-in-the-chilly-winter-months\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rory Clipsham\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.roryc.ca\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0672b9777e67473b9bd9247df49499c7\"},\"headline\":\"Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Home Safe &#038; 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