Winter home maintenance checklist

Winter is the indoor season for home maintenance. The outdoor jobs are done or waiting for spring, the furnace is running every day, and the house is closed up, which makes it the right time for the safety checks, the appliance cleaning and the sealing jobs that are easy to put off. The one outdoor job on the list, trimming the trees, belongs here because the trees are dormant. Do these in December, January and February.

Take the safety checks first, since the furnace, the fireplace and the space heaters all raise the stakes in winter. Then work through the kitchen, the bathroom and the laundry on the cold weekends when you'd be inside anyway.

The checklist

• Replace the HVAC filter: the furnace runs all day, and a clogged filter overheats it.
• Test the smoke and CO alarms: the furnace, the fireplace and the candles make winter the season for both.
• Check the fire extinguishers: the kitchen and the fireplace are busiest now.
• Test for radon: the closed-up house gives the honest reading.
• Exercise the water shut-off valves: a frozen pipe is a winter emergency, and the valve has to turn.
• Check the home's water pressure: an indoor job with a gauge, and high pressure is hardest on pipes in the cold.
• Replace the washing machine hoses: if they're due, a cold weekend is as good a time as any.
• Clean the oven: after the holiday roasting, before the smoke sets in.
• Clean the dishwasher and its filter: the holidays load it harder than any other month.
• Clean the refrigerator coils: the fridge is packed, and clean coils keep it cold.
• Clean the faucet aerators and showerheads: a vinegar soak while the weather keeps you inside.
• Inspect and replace bath and shower caulk: dry indoor air is the right condition for a new bead to cure.
• Seal the tile grout: the same dry air helps a sealer soak in and cure.
• Reseal the stone countertops: an indoor afternoon with the windows cracked for the fumes.
• Have the electrical panel inspected: electricians are quieter in winter, and the house draws its heaviest loads now.
• Trim trees and shrubs away from the house: late winter, while the trees are dormant and bare.

Tips

• Do the safety checks on the first weekend of winter: the alarms, the extinguishers and the shut-off valves together take an hour.
• Run the sealing jobs, the caulk, the grout and the countertops, on separate weekends, since each needs the surface dry and the room ventilated.
• Start the radon test in January, when the house has been closed up for a while, and leave it undisturbed for the full test period.
• Keep the HVAC filter changes on the short end of the range through winter, when the furnace runs the most.
• Book the tree trimming for late winter. Arborists are less busy, and the bare branches show exactly what needs to come off.

FAQ

What home maintenance should be done in winter?

The safety checks, the appliance and fixture cleaning, the indoor sealing jobs, a radon test, and tree trimming while the trees are dormant.

Why is winter the best time to test for radon?

The house is closed up and the heating draws air up from the soil, so the levels are at their highest. A winter test is the honest one.

Can you caulk a bathtub in winter?

Yes, and the dry indoor air helps the caulk cure. Keep the shower out of use for the time the tube says.

Why trim trees in winter?

The trees are dormant, so they heal fastest, and without leaves you can see which branches reach the roof and the lines.