Some preparation now goes a long way for being cozy and comfortable during the colder months ahead. This guide can help with ensuring your home is winter ready.

Your Garage Needs Love Too
All concrete garage floors should be properly sealed using a chlorinated rubber cure and seal floor compound. It’s recommended that these floors should be re-sealed annually before every cold season to prevent salt damage from snow and ice melting off parked cars. Here are a few more garage maintenance tips to get you through the winter.

Resealing your garage floor can prevent salt damage

Now You’re Caulking
The caulking on the outside of your home is subject to a wide range of temperature changes and conditions and should be checked every six months for cracks and gaps, especially in time for the freezing temperatures of the winter months. If you detect deteriorated or crumbling areas, first remove old caulking, then re-caulk using a good quality caulking compound. Be sure to use a caulking rated for exterior use and cold temperatures. Caulk smarter with these handy hints.

Use caulking rated for exterior use and cold temperatures

Check Those Eavestroughs!
One of the easiest and most important areas to check is your home’s eavestroughs and downspouts. Keeping these flowing freely will ensure that water, ice, and snow don’t build up to overflow and potentially damage your roof. Every fall and spring, it is important to do a thorough inspection and remove any debris that may cause clogging. This can be done by hand, but some people prefer to use a leaf blower to clean out eavestroughs. Just make sure your ladder is firmly and safely positioned and, if possible, have a helper on hand to steady it. Get more eavestrough tips here.

Clean your eavestrough to prevent ice and snow build up

Don’t Get Locked Out
Most homeowners never think about their door locks, but lubricating exterior and interior locks will help to ensure that they continue to work problem-free for years to come. For keyed exterior locks, a little powdered graphite (dry lubricant) blown into the keyhole and onto the latch bolt will ensure smooth operation. For interior passage sets, a few drops of household oil (such as sewing machine oil) on the latch bolt will suffice. Learn more here.

Lubricate your locks to ensure a warm welcome when you come home

Snow Removal Done Right
To avoid foundation deterioration, be sure to shovel or blow snow away from your home’s foundation. This will keep water from pooling around the base of your home when the snow melts. This is especially important around basement windows or concrete stairs. It is also necessary to keep areas clear around vents for your furnace, dryer or exhaust fans. This will help to prevent potential damage to both the area around the vent and your home’s heating and cooling systems. Just remember to take it slow when shovelling, keep hydrated and never over-exert yourself.

Take care of yourself when you set out to shovel

Every Geranium homeowner receives an extensive Warranty & Maintenance Guide when they move into their new home, aimed at helping them to preserve their investment through regular preventative maintenance. Many of these recommendations apply to any home. A little work now can go a long way toward protecting your biggest investment: your home. Visit this site for more winter maintenance tips.