Homeowners: Use the fall to prep for winter

Performing key home maintenance tasks and taking measures in the autumn to prepare for a Michigan winter can keep your home safe and comfortable, and potentially avert a homeowners’ insurance claim. Here are a dozen measures to take before the cold weather settles in.
1. Maintain your heating system. Vent pipes on high-efficiency furnaces need to be cleared of leaves or other obstructions. Those with boilers should have the boiler cleaned prior to the heating season. Gas furnaces should be cleaned periodically. Check your owners’ manual for recommended cleaning frequency. Change your furnace filter.
2. Shut down your cooling system. Cover the air conditioner unit outside your home to protect it from the elements. Remove any leaves, vines or other materials from the vicinity of the unit prior to covering it for the winter.
3. Check your chimney for cracks and clear it of leaves, bird nests, or other obstructions. If you burn wood, have your chimney cleaned by a chimney sweep to help prevent a chimney fire. Install or secure existing chimney caps.
4. When you set the clocks back an hour in November, change the batteries on your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors if they are battery- powered.
5. Clean weep holes on windows, and check windows and doors for air leaks. Caulk or apply weatherstripping to seal leaks and conserve heat. Install or lower storm windows if you have them.
6. Check your roof for missing or damaged shingles, and the flashings around chimneys, vent pipes, or skylights for weather-tightness. Repair and reseal as necessary.
7. Inspect trees for damaged or broken limbs that are suspended by lower limbs. Have trees trimmed and damaged branches removed by an arborist.
8. Inspect your outdoor lights. Be sure motion detector lights are operating properly. Replace burned-out bulbs.
The early onset of darkness during winter months makes properly working outdoors lights an important safety factor.
9. Clean gutters to ensure they are flowing smoothly.
10. Prevent ice dams by checking the soffit ventilation and consider installing heating tape on the eaves.
11. Disconnect outdoor hoses from spigots, shut off water to outdoor spigots, and drain the line. Wrap any water pipes traversing unheated spaces with insulating foam.
12. Stock up on essentials including sidewalk salt, sand, bottled water, candles, flashlights, and batteries. Consider getting a hand-crank-powered radio for emergencies.
It’s always a good idea to be familiar with your homeowners’ insurance policy, limits of coverage, and deductibles in case your home is damaged by a storm. For a policy review or to get a homeowners’ insurance quote, contact MDA Insurance at 800-860-2272 and speak with a personal lines agent or visit mdaprograms.com. Click on insurance, then home and auto insurance.