Spring Home Maintenance

Spring Home Maintenance

As another season changes and the beautiful warmer weather approaches, it is time to start preparing your home for the warm Spring weather. Below are a few common items to consider as the temperatures change conditions around your home.

Heating and Cooling

After a long Winter of furnace operation, it is a great idea to consider filter replacement, duct cleaning and even servicing the furnace. Good Home Maintenance practice should have Furnace Filters changed every 3 months. This should provide a cleaner air supply for your home.

You may consider duct cleaning, especially if you have an Air Conditioning unit installed. Dust and particulates can continue to gather in the ductwork within your home, so cleaning ducts is a good idea to be done on a regular basis, ideally annually.

You may consider having your Furnace Serviced. Depending on the age of your furnace. Furnace 8-10 years or older, you should have this serviced annually to help prolong the life of the appliance. Furnaces less than 8-10 years old can be serviced every 2 years.

If you have an Air Conditioning Unit, Spring is the time to have these appliances serviced before the warmer Summer weather begins.

If you have a Humidifier installed in the Furnace, it is a good idea to change the setting from Winter to Summer. Check the filter inside and look for mineral deposit build-up. These filters are typically easy to replace, but if you are uncomfortable with this, you can have an HVAC Professional service these also.

Exterior Faucets

Now that the freezing temperatures are gone and warmer temperatures approach, you can turn on the exterior Hose Bibs. These typically are controlled by a shut-off valve in the Mechanical Room of your home, however, they are sometimes located in odd areas in older homes. These can be turned on, and check for any drips or leaks after operating for the first time.

Roof

Check your Roof for overall condition. After the snow, then warmer temperatures increase, this melts and excessive moisture is running off the Roof. Look for odd drips or leaks around the home. Ensure downspouts are pointing away from the home and are in good condition. Consider having a Professional Roofing Contractor advise you if anything looks deficient.

Grading

As a general rule, grading should be sloping 6 inches within the first 10 feet of your home. This helps to shed any moisture away from your home and minimizes any potential moisture intrusion in the foundation of your Home.

Walkways

We often see gaps in walkways during our Home Inspections. This can lead to moisture intrusion and when this moisture freezes, it can heave walkways. Concrete walkways can be easily sealed with an appropriate Concrete Sealant where the walkway meets the wall and also in any larger cracks in concrete.

 

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Attic Rain

Attic Rain

What is Attic Rain?!

Attic Rain is basically moist air that has frozen in the attic space. When warmer weather melts this frozen moisture, it then falls to the ceiling below and potentially makes its way through to the ceiling interior. This process has been commonly referred to as ‘Attic Rain’

Let us break this down and explain the process and also what we can do for preventative measures.

So, how does this happen?

Consider heat rises and escapes through the ceiling of the interior of your home. Attic Insulation is designed to help contain the heat inside your home and makes the home more energy efficient. (All homes have varying types and depths of attic insulation, in this article, we are referring to a typical and most common installation of Blown-in Fibreglass Insulation). While the insulation levels in your home may meet the minimum requirements, heat can still escape through the insulation.

When the heat rises and escapes through the attic insulation, it holds moisture from the home interior. This moisture may be added to the air purposely from a humidifier installed in the furnace of the home, but moisture is also added to the interior environment through daily activities, such as showering and cooking etc. This moisture travels with the rising heat, into the attic space. When we have extremely cold temperatures outside, this warm interior air with a moisture content meets the dryer cold air and can condense on the underside of the roof sheathing. This may be seen as frost on the underside of the roof in the attic. When these extremely cold exterior temperatures turn to much warmer temperatures, the frozen condensed moisture can melt rapidly and fall to the attic insulation below. This has been commonly phrased as ‘Attic Rain’. When this moisture is in excess, it can make its way through to the interior ceiling in large quantities and actually form drips and stains on the interior. This may seem to most people like a roof leak, but in actual fact can be explained as the phenomenon above.

What can we do to avoid this?

There are two main areas that can be improved to help this situation. Insulation and Ventilation.

As mentioned above, your Attic Insulation may already be at acceptable levels. However, the insulation levels can be increased. This can be achieved quite easily by having blown-in insulation added to the current levels, (as an example). This will help with heat escaping into the attic space, increase heat efficiency and help to decrease heating costs in the home. A Professional Insulation Contractor can provide options for this scenario.

Ventilation and Airflow is another factor to consider. All homes with an attic space should have existing ventilation systems already in place. Examples of these systems are Ventilated Soffits, Roof Vents and Gable Vents, (to name a few). Just like the Insulation levels mentioned above, Ventilation Systems may meet the minimum requirements, but can also be improved upon. This may be a bit more of an invasive process, where additional Roof Vents can be installed to the roof, Gable Vents can be added to applicable gables and even attic ventilation fans etc. These will require services by a Professional Contractor.

See examples of Roof and Soffit Ventilation and Gable Vents below.

You kay wish to have further evaluation in these areas by a Qualified Professional OR make this part on an Annual Home Inspection to gain an updated review of you homes overall current condition.

 

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Winterizing Your Home

It is that time of year again when we are experiencing colder temperatures that can quickly reach the freezing point. We can also see additional precipitation that can cause some snowfall very quickly.

This also means that some extra consideration needs to be taken for Winterizing Your Home. These simple tasks can minimize and reduce potential damage from winter conditions and prolong the good condition of your home. Below are just a few items that can help with the transition from Autumn to Winter, and are common questions we are asked by our clients.

Let’s get right into it!

 

Downspouts and Gutters

Downspouts should be pointing away from the home. This ensures moisture run-off from the roof is draining away from the home. Additional moisture flowing toward the home can lead to foundation leaks etc. Ensure gutters are cleaned and free of leaves/debris and damage that can cause blockage.

Exterior Hose Bibs

Frozen pipes can cause a LOT of damage. Here we will explain how to winterize the exterior hose bibs.

You should be aware of the location of the hose bib shut-off valve. This is typically located in the mechanical room, but can also be located, (and possibly concealed), elsewhere.

Most hose bibs today are self-draining, meaning that they automatically drain a portion of water to the outside to help avoid water freezing in the water pipes.

First, turn the interior shut-off valve to the closed position.  Second, remove and store all hoses, and then open the exterior hose bib(s) to drain any excess water out of the water pipes. Once all water has drained, simply turn the hose bib off. That’s it!

The exterior hose bibs are now winterized and safe from freezing until the warmer weather returns in the Spring.

Heating and Cooling

It is a good idea to be familiar with the heating and cooling systems in your home. These systems can vary greatly in quality, performance, age, and overall condition, but their designs can be broken down into a fuel source (e.g. natural gas, electricity), distribution system (ducting, pipes, wiring), and temperature control (thermostat). The majority of homes here have a gas-fired furnace. (The content here is based on this common Gas-fired Furnace Heating System). Other designs can be simpler, or even more complex. Again, it is always a good idea to have some basic knowledge of your system. Locate and know where the shut-off valves are for each appliance. This can be useful in an emergency.

Regular maintenance is recommended/required.

Along with the colder weather, the Cooling Unit/Air Conditioner is no longer going to be required to cool your home and will be replaced with the operation of the Heating/Furnace system. Depending on your cooling system, you may need to do very little, or more. It is a good idea to look at the manual of your cooling unit to see what maintenance recommendations are required before winter conditions arrive.

Depending on your Thermostat make and model, you may need to change from cooling to heating manually. These can vary greatly in design and options. It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the thermostat operations.

The Furnace should have the filter changed every 3 months. (These are filtering particulates in the air that you breathe). Furnaces less than 8-10 years old are recommended to be serviced every 2 years. Furnaces older than 8-10 years old are recommended to be serviced every year. It is a good idea to have the ducts cleaned every 2nd year also. This helps to remove dust and debris in the distribution system and provides cleaner air.

Humidifier

See our Blog Post on Humidifiers for more information.

 

(Additional content may be added periodically).

 

 

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Humidifiers

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How to Improve Your Home’s Efficiency

Spending money on bills each month is such a drag, why can’t utilities just be free? I know my electricity and water bills are typically the most expensive – so I did some research on how to lower them.

Improving your home’s efficiency can make a big difference for the planet – and save you money!

Cheap (or Free) Home Efficiency Tips

  • Turn off the lights during the day – natural light is free & can improve your mood!
  • Replace lightbulbs with LED bulbs. Why is LED better? Check out this article from Direct Energy
  • Turn off your dishwasher’s heated dry cycle and let your dishes air dry instead.
  • Use bathroom & kitchen fans sparingly. Turn them off once you’re comfortable – they replace indoor air with outdoor air which means more work for your A/C or heater.
  • Use lamps instead of overhead lights when you don’t need a ton of light. Lamps use less energy than overhead lights, especially if you have LED bulbs installed.
  • Wash clothes & linens in cold water instead of hot – and wash in warm instead of hot if your washing requires warmer water.
  • Use an outdoor grill with a propane tank instead of the stove – this will save electricity and gas.
  • Dress for the weather when indoors. On colder days, wear more layers instead of cranking the heat. On warmer days, open the windows if the A/C isn’t on and wear minimal layers.
  • Use washers, dryers & dishwashers at night – this will keep your home from heating up during warmer days, & will use less electricity (avoid peak usage hours 4PM – 6PM)
  • Turn off lights in rooms you aren’t using
  • Unplug unnecessary electronics when you aren’t using them
  • Charge your phone before bed & leave it unplugged through the night. This is actually better for your phone’s battery life, and will help it last longer!
  • Use the dishwasher instead of hand washing – dishwashers use less water, but make sure to run it on full loads only.

Home Improvements to Increase Efficiency

  • Seal outside doors, window frames, and areas around vents with weatherstripping or caulk. This will keep the hot or cold air from entering your home & increasing the need for heat or A/C.
  • Invest in energy efficient appliances. Installing efficient
  • Clean or replace filters regularly. Dirty or old filters make your home’s systems less efficient & increase how long they run for.
  • Replace single-pane windows with double-pane ones. Single-pane windows have less insulation, allowing outside temperatures to influence indoor temperatures.
  • Install a programmable thermostat – once programmed, it will automatically adjust to stay at the temperature you want. This will improve your heating and cooling costs.
  • Improve your attic’s insulation. Replacing or installing additional insulation in your attic helps keep the air in your home where you want it
  • Replace old doors and windows. Weather stripping and sealant are a great fix, but investing in new frames, windows and doors is a sure fix
  • Install ceiling fans in bedrooms and common spaces. Ceiling fans help circulate air, and help warm or cool a home depending on which system is running.

Replace old faucets & fixtures with water saving ones that are “green.” This will save  money on water & electricity bills.

Is Your Home Efficient?

If you’ve made these improvements and your bills are still costing a fortune, getting a home inspection or an energy audit is worth looking into. Some homes aren’t built with proper insulation & weatherproofing – which reduces efficiency.

Even changing your daily habits & being conscious of the electricity and water you use can make a big difference. So turn off those lights!

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