January Home Maintenance

Another feature I plan to bring you this year is a home maintenance checklist. I won't be giving you the entire list at once though. If you're anything like me, you'll print the list and forget about it before the third month or your kids will color all over it or spill on it. So around the first of every month, I'll bring you a small list of things you should be doing that month to keep your house under control and in one piece. These lists are very very short but important nonetheless.

For January there are two things you need to do:

1. Test your home for radon. Radon is a radio-active gas that can cause cancer. It can build up when windows and doors are sealed tight. Checking for radon in the winter months is an excellent time since you're indoors a lot more often and sealing those windows and doors to stay warm. To check for radon, you will need to purchase a home testing kit (will usually cost around $25) and follow the directions on this page. Or you can choose to have a professional come out and test your home for you.
2. Make sure your attic insulation is doing the trick. In the summer, if your attic is not properly insulated, heat from outside will seep inside and make the cost of running your air conditioner and cooling your house increase. Likewise, in the winter, heat can be sucked out of the house through a poorly insulated attic. With the high price of energy, you can get the most out of the money you spend on heating and cooling your house by making sure that your attic is properly insulated. Insulating your attic can help reduce energy bills by as much as 20 percent. Who would not want that financial incentive? You can read more about insulating your attic here.