Winter's coming, whether we want it to or not!  And that means it's time to get your house ready for cold weather.  Getting it ready now will help in several ways:

          - It will help save on energy costs;
          - It will help provide worry-free maintenance;
          - And it will help to keep you and yours warm & cozy
               inside.

 Inspect the exterior of your home, and create yourself a fortress:

     - Walk around the outside of your home and check for areas
          that might allow water to get in, things that are broken, or
          things needing repair.
     - Check your storm windows and your doors.  Caulk and
          seal any openings and gaps to keep cold air out and to
          keep warm air inside. 
     - Look for any overhanging or dead tree limbs and have them
          removed.  If these get coated in ice, they'll become
          heavy & break off and hit your home.
     - Shut off water to outside faucets, and drain those faucets. 
          This will help to prevent any freeze-ups in those pipes.

Create a warm and cozy home inside - you'll love coming home and knowing you and your family will be nice and protected:

     - Have your fireplace checked out professionally for dirt and soot build-up
     - Have your furnace serviced and any parts replaced that are needed
     - Have your air filter replaced if you have forced air heat
     - Have the fins vacuumed in your baseboards if you have baseboards for heating
     - Have your furnace replaced if it's old and not functioning as it should

Having your home as fine-tuned as it can be, before the cold sets in, will help to ensure a warm and safe winter for you and your family.

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth New Hampshire