It’s January, what does this mean?  Time for cold weather, maybe ice and snow!  With winter weather comes unexpected surprises such as bursting pipes, failing furnaces and downed trees.  Now is the time to make sure your home is protected from these events.

Inspect your thermostat and make sure it is working properly, change your furnace filter and check the pilot light to make certain it is lit.

Inspect your fireplaces, woodstoves and chimneys.  It is very important to have your chimney cleaned annually.

Clean your gutters and roof.  Make sure to completely remove the year’s accumulation of dirt, debris and leaves.  The excess weight of ice and snow may stress the roof.

During extreme cold weather be sure to let a faucet drip, this can prevent a pipe from bursting.  The drip can be very slight.

Be sure to have any trees leaning towards your home trimmed or removed.

Always have a winter weather survival kit ready!  You will want to include flashlights, candles, matches, a battery powered radio, 2 or 3 blankets, plenty of bottled water and at least 7 days’ worth of non-perishable foods and a can opener.