Categories Blog, Recent Work, Tips

6 Ways to Keep Your House Warmer This Winter

Winter weather is right around the corner! With the upcoming drop in temperatures, it is essential to ensure your home is ready for the winter and your heating systems are prepared for a chilly winter. At McDonald Contracting, we want to make sure you have an stress-free and warm holiday season. So, take this as your PSA to make sure to prep your home for the colder months ahead. Concerned you don’t have time? Our UpKeep Maintenance Services were designed to ensure your home is maintained for every season of the year.

Check out our tips on how to keep your home warmer during the winter –

  • Adjust Your Furniture

    • A task as simple as rearranging furniture that blocks air vents and radiators guarantees a warmer home. Air will circulate freely throughout your home, guaranteeing a more efficiently heated home.

  • Close Your Fireplace 

    • Although a working wood-burning fireplace adds to a cozy, winter household aesthetic, the chimney chu is a direct route for warm air to escape your home. Think about closing and sealing your fireplace to keep the warm air in and the cold air out! Not sure how to do this? Our team at UpKeep can help.

  • Clean Your Vents

    • A quick clean of your exterior furnace vents will not only increase your energy efficiency, but it will also mitigate dust accumulation! Properly filtered, warm air is a must during the winter, and our Upkeep maintenance services include cleaning your exterior furnace vent.

  • Service Your Heating Unit 

    • A general service of your heating system is a great way to keep your house warm this winter. If your heating system isn’t running to its fullest potential, that cozy indoor warmth during the colder months may be just out of reach. Unsure how to service your heating system?

      • Part of our UpKeep services includes an annual service of your heating unit. We will change filters and supply essential maintenance of the exterior condenser and interior furnace.

  • Adjust Your Ceiling Fan Switch

    • A simple reset of your ceiling fans to spin clockwise at the lowest speed is optimal for heat circulation. This quick switch will ensure the maximum value for your home’s heating system.

 

Winter should be filled with hot chocolate, sledding, and time spent with friends and family! Consider some tips above to ensure a cozy and warm home for the holiday season. Interested in our Home Maintenance Upkeep services too? Click here 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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Categories Blog, Tips

Home Maintenance: Spring To-Do List

The warm weather is in the air! With the arrival of spring you may find yourself outside more. Now is the time to make sure your home is regularly maintained to ensure the transition between seasons is as smooth as possible. Of course, many people will start with spring cleaning to kickstart the new season, but here are some things we recommend adding to your to-do list this spring to maintain your home!

Check out our Spring to-do list below. Don’t have the time to maintain your home? Check out our Preventative Home Maintenance Services.

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