Wenatchee Real Estate: Maintenance Time

It's hard to imagine, but here we are at the first of November already!  I thought it would be useful to share a few maintenance reminders.

1.  Inspect the Chimney:  Always have your chimney and it's cap inspected (and cleaned and serviced if necessary) before going into a new winter season.  Without proper maintenance, water can get behind the crown and drip down into the interior framing, causing mold and rot that can be extremely expensive to repair later.  In addition, if the interior of the chimney is not properly maintained, embers can get into the framing and cause a house fire.

2.  Prevent Ice Daming:  Ice daming is fairly simple to avoice by taking the necessary steps to keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves.  It involves a combination of ventilation, insulation and sealing warm air leaks from the interior of the home.  Here is a link to additional information on preventing ice daming.   Also clean the gutters to avoid water back up against the roof.  It is better to have no gutters than improperly maintaned gutters.  Can you spell  D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R ?

3.  Inspect Water Shut Off Valves:  Be sure you know where your water shut off valves are and that they work properly.  If you experience frozen pipes, when they thaw out your pipes will probably burst spewing water everywhere.  You need to know where the main water valve is and that it is working properly.  Be sure everyone in your household knows too!  While you're at it, be sure the water supply valves behind toilets, in the kitchen and the laundry room work properly.

Hope these tips help!

Stay warm and safe this winter!

Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent

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