Old houses
What an old house needs before winter.
A lot of homes around the Illinois Valley were built long before anyone sealed a house tight. These are the things worth checking when the weather turns, most of them small, all of them cheaper now than in January.
Prefer to text? 815-712-0524The fall check
Seven things to look at first
The door that stuck all summer
Wood swells in humid weather and shrinks once the heat comes on, so a door that stuck in August can gap by January. Adjust the hinges and strike plate first, and plane the door only if that doesn’t fix it. Then weatherstrip whatever gap is left.
Air under the doors
On a windy day, hold your hand along the bottom of each outside door. If you feel air, a new door sweep or threshold is one of the cheapest fixes in the house.
Old wood windows
Original sash windows can last another hundred years with care. For winter, close and lock them, since the lock pulls the two sashes tight. Seal loose gaps with removable rope caulk and put the storms up if you have them. Don’t paint or caulk them shut for good.
Caulk and trim
Gaps between trim and walls, around the tub, and where siding meets window and door trim let in air and water. Outside caulk wants a dry day above about 40 degrees, so do the outside first, while the afternoons still warm up.
The attic hatch
An uninsulated attic hatch can be one of the biggest single leaks in an older house. Weatherstrip the edge and add insulation to the top of the panel.
Outside faucets
Take the hoses off before the first hard freeze. Even a frost-free faucet can split if a hose is still attached, because the water in it can’t drain.
The drip you’ve stopped hearing
A running toilet or a dripping faucet is easy to tune out. Fix it before company comes, and before the water bill notices.
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One visit, the whole list
A winter-ready visit is half a day for your list: doors and trim, weatherstripping and caulk, drywall patches, shelves and hardware, and the small repairs you keep meaning to get to. From $300, materials extra. Tell us what’s on it when you book, so we bring the right materials.
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