Winter Maintenance for Homes in Louisville

Black Friday is now a distant memory, Santa can no longer be found at Mall St. Matthews and all the holiday decorations have been put away for another year. That can only mean one thing – the birth of a new year is upon us.  And that means it’s time once again to make New Year’s resolutions.  We could promise anew actually to use our gym membership this year or we could try yet again to swear off chocolate or ice cream. But perhaps a better pledge for 2012 might be to get our homes in Louisville ready for winter. That’s a resolution that will not only bring us comfort during the coldest months of the year, but it may also be something we can accomplish more successfully than the latest fad diet or strenuous exercise program.

Since Louisville winters usually bring a few snow storms with average temperatures in the 20s during January and February, making sure that your house is ready to keep you warm should be a top priority. January is not too late to make some simple changes or modifications that will produce results you will benefit from before spring rolls in. Here are a few winter home maintenance tips that will keep you toasty and save you money as well!

  1. Change out your furnace filters and inspect the insulation around the crawlspace and attic.  Make sure that the seals around plumbing, lighting fixtures and the attic door are tight to keep air from escaping.
  2.  If you have double-paned windows, you’re in great shape.  These help keep the heat in and the cold out.  If you don’t have this kind of window though, there are still things you can do to help.  Replacing the screens with storm windows will go a long way in keeping your house warm.  If purchasing storm windows isn’t in the budget this year, then get a plastic film sheet kit from a home improvement or hardware store.  This will only last one season, but it’s an inexpensive fix that works.
  3.  If unusually cold temperatures are in the forecast, let your cold and hot water faucets drip during the night to keep the pipes from freezing.
  4. Even though it’s winter, don’t forget about the yard!  Trim branches of trees and shrubs to make sure they aren’t too close to the house.  Ice-covered limbs – like those we saw during the January 2010 ice storm – can cause a lot of damage when they fall onto the roofs or against the sides of our homes in Louisville.


Even though the holiday festivities are over, there’s still quite a lot that can be done to make this winter the best ever.  And by turning some basic winter home maintenance activities into our New Year’s resolution this year, we’re likely to be far more successful than we were getting into our old skinny jeans or developing rock hard abs like we tried to do in the past.   Plus, we’ll save some money and have the satisfaction of knowing our families will be warmer in their homes in Louisville this year.

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