#1 SEALCOAT YOUR DRIVEWAY

I’m pretty sure our driveway is original. The house was built in 1998 and the driveway is beginning to show its age. A few years ago, I had it seal coated. I was reasonably happy with the results, but now there are some pretty big cracks and as much as I just want to make a phone call and have someone come out to take care of it for me, I feel like it needs a little extra love. Most sealcoating companies will only fill large cracks and will not address any ‘spider web’ cracking which I have. To extend the life of the driveway, I’m going to do it myself. I’ll probably regret this decision, but I’m going to give it a try anyway. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Here is a step by step guide to sealcoating your driveway from This Old House.

Driveway sealcoating creates a membrane that protects the concrete or other substrate from the damaging effects of the sun, gasoline, rock salt, oil, and ice. Read this guide for tips on the best sealers to use, and how to seal a driveway to maximally preserve its structure and appearance.

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#2 PREP YOUR CHIMNEY FOR WINTER

We all know that a woodburning stove or fireplace needs to be cleaned to prevent buildup of soot and creosote. Experts recommend having a fireplace cleaned and chimney swept after 1 cord of wood has been burned. If you don’t burn that much wood, you should still have it inspected every couple years. Natural gas and propane fireplaces also require maintenance. Maintenance of a gas fireplace is a little different, but a technician will vacuum the fireplace, clean the glass and test for gas leaks. This maintenance is recommended every couple years as well.

10 Tips for Maintaining a Wood-Burning Fireplace

What to Know about Gas Fireplace Service and Maintenance

Here are a couple local companies who can help:

Gas Fireplace - Yankee Fireplace

Woodburning Fireplace - Up Yer Flue