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Over the years, we have graduated from homework to home work. Homeowners have work to do to prepare for the Winter season. The following are a few items we have run into in the past that can cause headaches for homeowners if not tended to at this time of the year.

Gutters: Most people may never notice them, but they do have an important job for your home. Not only do they disperse water off the roof, they also keep water out of the basement and crawl spaces. This is the time of the year to inspect the gutters for leaks and making sure the gutters drain properly. Take a stroll next time it rains and see how the water is flowing through them. If problems are noticed, you can call a gutter company. November is also a good time to clean out the gutters that contain leaves and other debris. It is best to clean the gutters after the most of the leaves have fallen form the trees near your home. This way you are only cleaning them one time instead of having to recheck them at the end of the season. Gutters that are not cleaned can cause ice damming, which is where water remains in the gutters, freezes and can cause roof leaks/damage. Gutter guards are a great way to keep your gutters clear from debris. Most gutter companies will clean your gutters when installing them, so just ask.

Foundation Vents: These are located at ground level and are needed to vent the homes crawl space. They are roughly 16” wide and 10” tall. Make sure the adjustable louvers are closed in the fall and through the winter. If the louvers will not close or are damaged, you can install and secure ∏ inch Styrofoam in front of them. This will help keep the crawl space warm and water pipes from freezing. This procedure will also help your floors above the crawl space stay warmer in the winter.

Garden Hose Connections: While getting ready for the winter be sure to unhook all hoses from there connections to the home. We suggest making a lap around the home to remove all hoses and store them away for the winter. It is easy to overlook a hose that is in an area that doesn’t get much use after the Summer Season. Frozen hoses can bust and flood basements and other areas of the home. Sometimes this may not be noticed until its time to use the water connection in the Spring.