New Year Home Maintenance and Safety Checklist

We begin every year with the same resolution: to help people and their loved ones stay safe. To keep that promise, we’ve come up with a month-by-month home maintenance and safety checklist.

Hallways

• Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
• Inspect fire extinguisher pressure gauge to see if needle is in the green, and replace or service if its outside of the zone

Bedrooms

• Create emergency plan and practice different escape routes with family
• Store flashlights with fresh batteries in every room in case of power outage
• Compile/ update home inventory in case you need to file insurance claim due to burglary

Kitchen

• Post a resource contact sheet on refrigerator including emergency numbers for doctors, police, ect.
• Check your range hood fan for signs of grease build up and clean it regularly
• Change refrigerator water and ice maker filters every six months to remove contaminants build up
• Vacuum your refrigerator coils to remove dust and grime that could spark a fire
• Clean garbage disposal with baking soda, white vinegar, hot water, ice, and a lemon to keep fresh

Basement

• Clean your home’s circuit breaker to decrease the risk of power surges/outages
• Check pipes for frozen water so they don’t burst and ensure that pipes that are on stay above 32 degrees
• Change furnace filters every for to 6 weeks so your air stays clean while your home heats
• Dust and wash air vents to purify air inside your home
• Flush hot water heater once a year to remove sediment and mineral buildup and keep it working at its full capacity

Bathroom

• Replenish first aid kit will all essentials ; band aids, anti septic, gauze ect.
• Unclog bathroom tub and sink drains by pouring boiling water mixed with baking soda or white vinegar

Roof

• Check roof for ice dams so snow doesn’t strain roof and cause leaks or break gutters
• Check attics insulation by taking a tape measure to find depth. If under 12 inches you should have a professional come install more so your energy efficiency doesn’t suffer

Outside

• Inspect your outdoor lighting to see if any lights need replaced or added. well light homes scare away burglars and prevent injuries like falling from black ice
• Research security cameras and systems and add them to your homes exterior and or interior before peak of burglar season begins in the summer

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