Getting your home ready for winter

Everybody worries about protecting their investments: their savings, their 401(k), their stocks.

One'shome is also a big investment and it, too, needs to be protected with periodic maintenance. Here is a checklist of chores that, if followed, will help you keep your home in top shape and make it cozier for the winter ahead.

Gutters and downspouts:Water is one of a home's biggest enemies, especially rainwater that is shed off the roof of an average home.

When allowed to collect at the perimeter of a foundation, excessive water can result in a damp and musty basement or cause foundation movement that produces cracks.

If your home doesn't have gutters and downspouts, install them. If it does, be sure they are clean of leaves and debris. Consider installing a gutter protection system.

Drainage: In addition to havingclean gutters and downspouts, make sure the downspouts discharge into a subsurface drainage system or, failing that, at least 3 to 5 feet from your foundation.

Allowing downspouts to discharge at the base of the foundation is worse than not having gutters at all because of the high concentration of water.

Also, make sure all your soil is graded, or sloped,to drain away from the foundation.

Water heater and plumbing pipes: You can maximize your water heating dollar by removing sediment at the base of your water heater's tank. The sediment that collects over time greatly reduces burner efficiency and can even cause damage to the interior lining of the tank when allowed to superheat.

Adjust burners for the most fuel-efficient and safest combustion. For flames, blue is good, yellow isn't.

Read more:
Getting your home ready for winter