Categories Home Maintenance

Winter Home Prep

Winter is basically here and with so many responsibilities to juggle (hello, holiday shopping), the maintenance and upkeep of your home can easily end up at the bottom of your to-do list! Although sending that email or returning that online shopping order may seem time-sensitive, so is keeping up with your home maintenance.

Home maintenance is a broad topic. So many things may completely slip your mind and leave you with an unexpected home repair bill! Prevent those unexpected bills and check out these five home maintenance tasks…

  • Roof Repairs 

    • New England weather is hard to predict and even harder to prepare for! Ensure your roof is in perfect condition to protect your home from weather-related damage. Roof repairs range from fixing leaks and cleaning gutters to addressing a sagging structure. Although these repairs may seem small, a quick fix is far better than a large-scale repair.

  • Heating System Tune-Up

    • With the holiday season upon us and a big snowstorm likely on the horizon, homeowners must ensure their heating systems are in excellent working condition. A quick filter change, check on airflow, and evaluation of essential parts like the pumps, ensures that necessary minor repairs of your heating system are caught before they become significant repairs.

  • Smoke Alarm Check 

    • A task as simple as checking or replacing the batteries on your smoke alarms is necessary for home maintenance. Your home should always have working smoke alarms! In the unlikely event of an emergency, you will be thankful that you took the time to change the batteries!

  • Caulking Plumbing Fixtures

    • Although caulking plumbing fixtures may seem obsolete, taking the time to caulk around bathtubs, water pipes, and drains is a great way to prevent water damage. If water damage goes unchecked in your home, bills to fix the damage can be incredibly costly. By caulking around plumbing fixtures, water cannot seep into small cracks in your home. A small task now prevents a largely time-consuming one in the future!

  • Drain & Trap Cleaning

    • By cleaning your drains and traps, you are far less likely to experience clogged pipes and bad odors in the future. The cleaning will remove dirt, debris, and buildup to ensure a clean smell and pipes in like new condition. This maintenance task is a must to keep your home and the drains that support your plumbing in great condition.


Home maintenance can be time-consuming, but all of these tasks are necessary to prevent major home repairs and unexpected bills in the future. Not sure if you have the time or expertise to complete these tasks yourself? Check out McDonald Contracting and their Upkeep Maintenance Program! With fees starting as low as $150 per month, McDonald Contracting will make sure your home stays in excellent condition. Feel free to contact us to learn more.

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Categories Blog, Home Maintenance

5 Tips For Getting Your Home Fall-Ready

McDonald Contracting

Fall in New England is one of the most amazing times of the year; the trees are bursting with colors, and homes are filled with the smell of apple pie. But, it’s easy to forget about maintaining your home, so we are here to remind you! Don’t neglect your home this summer and fall. Instead, use your extra daylight time this August to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. 

Here are some tips to help keep your home well-maintained – 

  • Get Your Chimney Inspected and Cleaned: Fall in New England can be chilly! So before curling up with a book by the fireplace, ensure your chimney is inspected and cleaned by a professional. Keeping up with chimney maintenance will help reduce the risk of a fire. 
  • Check Your Furnace and Boiler: Inspecting your furnace and boiler is always a good idea. You will want them checked for leaks and any other damage. Changing filters is essential as well. Keeping your equipment inspections up to date will help with efficiency and decrease heating costs. 
  • Clean or Replace Gutters: It can be easy to forget that the gutters need a little TLC too. Clogged gutters can wreak havoc on your home. If gutters get neglected, you could end up with water damage to your home’s exterior and interior. It may be best to wait until mid to late fall to clean them. 
  • Test Home Safety Devices: When the cold weather comes, so does the risk of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. You should ensure you put fresh batteries in all your devices and test that they work. Stay safe this season, and make sure everything is in working order! 
  • Check for Drafts: Nothing is more inconvenient than trying to heat a house with drafts. Making sure there are no drafts will help keep heating your home more efficient and cost-effective. A trick for checking for drafts is walking with a lit candle near common draft areas such as windows; if the flame flickers or burns out, then a draft is near. 

We hope these tips help get your home for an stress-free fall! AND if you find yourself not having enough time, check out our UpKeep Home Maintenance Services.

 

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