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Routine Maintenance & Winter Preparation

Routine Maintenance

Congratulations on your new home! Now that you've settled in, it's essential to prioritize routine maintenance to keep your home in top condition. Here are some important tasks to remember:

1. Heating and Air Conditioning Systems:

Check and change filters regularly to maintain indoor air quality and maximize system efficiency.

2. Cleanliness:

Regularly dust and clean surfaces throughout your home to prevent buildup that can damage finishes and affect indoor air quality.

3. Exterior Maintenance:

Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris to prevent water damage and maintain the integrity of your home's exterior.

4. Warranty Coverage:

Remember that your Terry Homes warranty covers workmanship and materials for one year after purchase. However, routine maintenance tasks are the homeowner's responsibility.
Familiarize yourself with the terms of your warranty to understand your rights and responsibilities.

5. Manufacturer Warranties:

Some items, such as appliances, may be covered by manufacturers' warranties rather than the builder's warranty. Be sure to keep track of any warranty documentation provided for these items.

6. Stay Informed:

We at Terry Homes are committed to supporting you in maintaining your new home. Look out for regular emails with home maintenance tips and warranty information throughout your warranty period.

Remember, staying on top of routine maintenance not only preserves the beauty and functionality of your home but also helps protect your investment for years to come. For detailed maintenance guides and tutorials, check out the YouTube videos below.

Winter Preparation Maintenance

1.Hose bibs: Ensure that your hoses are disconnected from your hose bibs. Water expands as it freezes, and if there is water trapped in the hose, it can expand and cause the hose to burst. Additionally, the ice can extend into the hose bib and the connected pipes, causing them to burst as well.

2.Heating System: It is important to regularly maintain your HVAC system. We recommend replacing the filter on your HVAC unit bi-annually, if you have not already done so now is a good time. Replacement filters can be purchased from McCrorie Heating and Cooling; their contact information can be found at the bottom of this email.

Thermostat: Check to see if your thermostat is working properly. Keep your thermostat set to a consistent temperature, even when you’re away. This helps prevent pipes from freezing and ensures a warm home upon your return.

Inspect and Clean Ductwork: Ducts can accumulate dust and debris over time, affecting the efficiency of the heating system. We recommend inspecting and cleaning your ductwork to maintain airflow and indoor air quality.

Air Source Heat Pumps: Removing snow build-up from the tops of Air Source Heat Pumps will help them operate more efficiently while promoting a longer life span of the unit.

Schedule Regular Professional Maintenance: A qualified technician can identify and address issues before they become major problems, ensuring the system’s efficiency and longevity. McCrorie Heating and Cooling has a service department and would be happy to help with this.

3.Seal Drafts

Inspect windows and doors for drafts and seal any gaps when present.

On exterior doors inspect your threshold; if you are within your 1-year warranty period and find that your threshold needs to be adjusted please give us a call. If you are outside of your 1-warranty period, the following video link can provide you with video showing you how to adjust your threshold.

Adjustable thresholds - YouTube

4.Roofs and Gutters

Clean out your gutters to prevent ice dams.

Inspect your roof and attic spaces for any signs of damage, leaks, or intrusion from the outside elements. A well-maintained roof is crucial for keeping your home warm and dry.

5.Plumbing Systems

Each of your plumbing lines are ran on interior walls or within conditioned spaces.

Dependent upon your water supply if you have an emergency in your plumbing system different actions should be taken.

If you are connected to a shared well or pump house and it experiences a loss of power. Shut-off your main water-supply line and drain each of your faucets. Additionally opening your cabinet doors is recommended.

If you are on City Water and experience a power outage; if you have water to the home turn your faucets on so that they are trickling water this will reduce the chance of water freezing within the pipes. If in any other scenario where you experience a loss of waterflow due to a power outage, turn off your main water supply line and turn on each of your faucets to allow them to depressurize your system. Emergency contact information to a plumber will be provided below.

6.Garage Doors

Ensure that your garage door operates correctly; keep it closed when possible.

Where the garage door closes and meets the ground remove any ice or snow build up to prevent tearing of the bottom seal of your garage door.

7.Electricity

If we experience a power outage, open your cabinet doors and take appropriate action as outlined within plumbing systems. Emergency contact information to an electrician will be found below.

Flathead Electrical Cooperative has created multiple resources to help you determine if you are experiencing a power outage, including a map showing known power outages, and how to report a power outage.

Outage Center - Flathead Electric Cooperative

Flathead Electric Outage Map

Here is contact information to report a power outage: (406)-751-4449

8.Snow Removal Equipment

Make sure your snow removal equipment, such as shovels, snow blowers, or snowplows are in good working condition.

9.Concrete Flatwork (Garage, sidewalks, or driveways when applicable.)

Deicer: We do not recommend using chemically formulated deicing agents including salt.

Alternatively, you can use clean sand or fine gravel to create extra traction in the winter months.

If you have not sealed your concrete flatwork; avoid parking within your garage. The Flathead Valley salts highways, and this can be transferred onto your concrete by your vehicle.

Ensure that your hoses are disconnected from your hose bibs. Water expands as it freezes, and if there is water trapped in the hose, it can expand and cause the hose to burst. Additionally, the ice can extend into the hose bib and the connected pipes, causing them to burst as well.

Emergency Contact Information