Baton Rouge Home Maintenance Tips [INFOGRAPHIC]

This content was originally published on November 11, 2015 and has been updated for relevance and accuracy.

This can be a busy time of the year for your home. So in between road trips, visiting relatives, and holiday shopping, here are a few quick and simple items that will help you get your home ready for winter.

Clean your cooling devices:

For ceiling fans, you can change the rotation to clockwise. This pushes warm air down. This can help save on the energy bill. Also, wipe down the fan blades. If you have window a/c units, remove them once the temperatures start to drop and vacuum the coils and filters.

Check for holes in the attic:

This is a great time of the year to take a look in the attic, and not just for the Christmas decorations. Your attic is the best vantage point between your home and your roof. Take a look during the brightest part of the day or during a steady rain. Look for any areas of light or leaks. This can give you a great indication of the health of your roof or if you need to add any insulation.

Check your insulation:

Speaking of insulation, while in your attic check to ensure you have adequate protection from not only the cold, but also the summer heat. A properly insulated attic will keep the warm air your home creates inside during the winter and your cold air-conditioned air during the summer. The rule of thumb is that if you can see the tops of the joists in your attic, you need more insulation.

Fix concrete cracks:

If you’ve noticed some major cracks in your sidewalk or driveway, they can be a tremendous tripping hazard. As winter approaches the potential for them to grow bigger increases. As rain, sleet, and sometimes snow falls in these cracks and then freezes, more damage can be created. Acrylic latex and caulk can both be good remedies to seal these cracks.

Check your gutters:

Clogged gutters can spell trouble for everything from your roof to your foundation. If water can’t be channeled off and away from the home, it can create leaks in your roof. This is a good time of the year, as leaves are beginning to fall, to not only clean your gutters but check their alignment and pitch.

Weatherproof your doors and windows:

This is a good idea anytime of the year, but as the temperatures begin to drop, it is important to seal any drafty areas of your home. Sealing gaps larger than 1/8 of an inch around doors and windows can lower your energy bill tremendously. For windows, adhesive backed closed cell foam can be pressed along the bottom. Foam strips on the sides and tops of doors, along with a sweep on the bottom can do the trick too.

These are only a few tips. But this will keep your home warm and efficient this winter, and the benefits will continue into next year’s warm months as well. If you notice any problems with your  roof  , from the attic or street, or your gutters, it’s important to trust a local, experienced roofing and  sheet metal company. For over 50 years Cribbs Incorporated has been helping homeowners.