Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series of articles on how to get local homes ready for a safe and comfortable holiday season.

When Jack Frost and Old Man Winter come knocking on your door, will you be ready?

Sure you’ve dug out the winter coats and have stocked wood for cozy fires, but a scrutinizing eye at some of the areas of your home that will see the most activity in the colder months will save on headaches and costly bills later.

Granite Bay resident Colette DiGiordano takes time out before temperatures drop to check and replace the weather-strips around her doors to keep drafts out and her heating bills down.

“I also spray for bugs in the fall to keep them from looking for a warm spot in the house,” DiGiordano said.

Although fall temperatures are quickly dropping into winter territory, it’s not too late to start preparing and safeguarding your home. With the help of a few local experts we’ve gathered the basic steps and measures to whittle away your fall to-do list just in time for winter:

Chimney check-up:

There’s nothing like a roaring fire in the winter. But keeping fires in the fireplace, and not crawling up the chimney is a matter of pre-season inspections and sweeping.

Ryan Bros. Chimney Sweeping owner Amie Ryan suggests a preliminary inspection annually before using the fireplace to check for damaged tiles or erosion.

For daily fireplace users, like DiGiordano, chimneys can develop a buildup of ash or creosote that, if not swept away regularly, can cause chimney fires.

“You could have a small chimney fire and not even know it, but the big chimney fires can get out of hand quickly and destroy a home,” Ryan said.

Aside from keeping out animals, leaves and debris, a chimney cap will also keep rain out of your chimney, which can cause erosion if mixed with creosote buildup.

“Creosote is very acidic,” said Ryan Bros. Certified chimney inspector Clay Thompson. “If rain water mixes with creosote, it can corrode away the chimney walls and cause rusting to the metal damper.”

A preliminary inspection and cleaning by a certified chimney sweep, like Thompson includes a visual interior and exterior examination as well as brushing away the creosote buildup and vacuuming out debris.

“It’s a good idea because if there is damage done to the tiles the heat will escape and you won’t be getting the most out of your fireplace,” Ryan said. “Or if there is damage to the flu tiles or the metal pipe it won’t contain the heat of the fire and can turn into other areas of your home.”

Go for the Gutters-

When it’s raining outside, the last thing you want is to spring a leak inside. Keeping gutters clean and unobstructed is a good first step to keep a leaky roof at bay.

Rich McLean, owner of Granite Bay home service company, McLean-It, advises homeowners to have their gutters cleaned as often as twice a year depending on the type of tree surrounding the home.

“Pine trees, oak and liquid ambers tend to drop the most in the fall and winter,” Mclean said. “If there’s a lot of leaves or debris on the ground around your house it’s probably a good indicator that it’s building up in your gutters, too.”

If left to accumulate, pine needles, leaves and the spiky balls that drop from liquid ambers can clog portions of the gutter or the downspouts and create dams of rainwater.

“Water that close to the roofline over time can create dry rot in the roof,” McLean said. If dry rot is allowed to grow and remain damp, water can pool in the roof and eventually leak into the home.

Aside from having a professional inspect and clean gutters and downspouts, McLean said homeowners should trim back overhanging trees, which will keep debris from falling in gutters and chimneys.

“I don’t recommend screens or plastic shields because it’s only a matter of time before they disintegrate and it’s added cost to replace,” McLean said. “Also they can become warped and let leaves in anyways. If people trim their trees or blow off their roofs it would be just as effective.”

Ryan Bros. Chimney Sweep

5710 Auburn Blvd. #6

Sacramento

339-2220

ryan-brothers.com

Mclean-It

PO Box 2522

Granite Bay

797-1422

Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mcleanit.com