A Winter Entry Checklist for a Leominster Home

Before you start: what to have ready

Have a light, a ladder you can use safely, a notebook or phone for the list, and a clear route to the attic hatch and the cellar. Ask the household which rooms have shown insects and when.

A checklist works best when it is walked in the same order each time. The order below follows the overwintering account from the upper spaces down to the lot, so that the list can be compared from one autumn to the next.

• A torch or a headlamp for the attic and the cellar.
• A ladder that stands firm on the ground, with a second person where the roof edge needs it.
• A notebook or a phone note for the position of each entry.
• A clear path to the attic hatch, the cellar door and each outbuilding.
• The dates and rooms where insects were seen, written down.

Step 1: the roof line and the eaves

The roof line is the first place to walk from outside. The eaves, the gables and the soffit vents are where the sheltered upper spaces meet the outside air.

Seal what can be sealed on the day, using a material that suits the gap. Where the material is not carried, mark the entry and list it for a later visit, with the reason.

• Check each soffit board for a lifted edge or a gap at a joint.
• Check each soffit and gable vent for a missing or torn screen.
• Check the gables where the roof meets the wall, for light showing through.
• Check the eaves at the corners, where two boards meet.
• Note any entry by its position from the nearest corner.

Step 2: the attic

The attic is walked from the hatch with a light. Look for light coming through the roof, for openings around the chimney and vent pipes, and for any gap where a wall meets the roof structure.

An opening found from the attic is often on the same line as an entry outside. Match the two on the list, so the sealing is done once and not twice.

• Look for daylight around the roof boards and the vent pipes.
• Look along the top of each wall, where it meets the roof frame.
• Look at the hatch itself, and its seal.
• Look for openings where a cable or pipe passes from the attic into a wall void.
• Note the position of each opening from a fixed point, such as the chimney.

Step 3: the window and door frames

Frames move with the seasons, and the seal around them is one of the most common places for a gap to open. Check every frame on every floor, not only the ones in the rooms where insects were seen.

A frame with a gap at one side often has a second gap at the other. The walk checks both sides before the list is closed.

• Check each window frame at the top and sides, where the seal meets the wall.
• Check the sill below each window, and the joint where it meets the wall.
• Check each door frame at the threshold and the hinge side.
• Check the door sweep, and replace it if it no longer closes the gap.
• Mark each frame that has a gap, and note the floor it is on.

Step 4: cable, pipe and vent openings

Every cable, pipe, vent and meter line that passes through a wall is an opening. Each one is listed, whether or not it looks sealed.

A sealant that has shrunk or split is not a seal. The sealing is renewed on the entry itself, not only on the outside of the wall.

• List each cable and pipe that enters the building from outside.
• List each vent and exhaust line, including the dryer and bath vents.
• Check the sealant around each one for cracks and shrinkage.
• Check the openings inside the cellar where the same lines enter the house.
• Record each one by its position on the wall.

Step 5: the cellar and the sill

The cellar is where the house meets the foundation. Check the sill along the length of the house, the cellar windows and any door at grade.

The cellar walk is slow, because stored items are in the way. Move them only as far as the walk needs, and put them back where they were.

• Check the sill where the wood meets the foundation wall.
• Check each cellar window and its frame.
• Check any door at grade, and its threshold.
• Check the foundation wall for cracks wider than a hair line.
• Check the openings where cables and pipes enter from the outside.

Step 6: sheds, garages and the lot

UMass names sheds among the overwintering sites, so each outbuilding is walked on its own, with its own list.

The outbuilding list is kept separate from the house list. The owner can then see which entries belong to the house and which to the shed or the garage.

• Check the door of each shed and garage, and its seal.
• Check each vent and window in an outbuilding.
• Check any shared wall between a garage and the house, from both sides where the owner allows it.
• Move stored wood and debris away from the wall, and note where it was.
• List any outbuilding that is not in use, because it is still a building.

Step 7: the spring check

Walk the list again in the spring. Openings that the winter has widened are the ones to look for, and the soil at the foundation is checked after the thaw.

A spring check that finds nothing new is still a record. It shows the list held through the winter, and it sets the autumn work in a clear order.

• Re-check each sealed entry for a split, a shrink or a lift.
• Check the soil line at each wall after the thaw.
• Check the frames and the door sweeps after the cold months.
• Add any new entries to the list, with the date.
• Note which entries need materials for the autumn visit.

Recording the list so it can be used again

A list is only useful if the next person can read it. Each entry needs a position, a status and a short note, written in the same order every time.

Use one line per entry. Write the building or floor, the wall or room, the position from a fixed point, the kind of opening and whether it was sealed on the day. A line that reads "north gable, vent, screen torn, not sealed, needs mesh" can be found and checked in a few seconds.

Keep the list with the house papers, and date each update. A list with dates shows how the house has changed from one autumn to the next, and it lets a technician start the next walk from the last one.

When the walk cannot reach an entry

Some entries sit above a roof that cannot be walked safely, behind a locked room or below a floor that cannot be opened. Those are recorded as not checked, not as clear.

A list that marks an unreachable entry as clear gives a false picture of the house. The checklist asks for every unreachable point to be written down with the reason, so that the owner can arrange access later.

Where the reason is a safety matter, such as a steep roof or a damaged floor, the note says so, and the entry waits for a visit that can reach it with the right equipment.

Working in the cold months

Outside work is best done in dry, mild spells, and the list should be written as the walk goes, because cold hands and short days make notes easy to lose.

Choose a dry day for the outside walk, and check the forecast before the ladder goes up. Sealants and fillers need a dry surface and a temperature the product allows, so the seal is sometimes better done on the next mild day than forced in the cold.

Write the list on the walk, not afterwards from memory. A short list made on the day is more accurate than a long one written at the kitchen table a week later.

Keeping the checklist with the house

Keep a copy of the checklist with the house papers and mark it each season. The checklist is then a record of the house, and it grows more useful each year.

A copy kept with the papers can be given to a new owner or to a technician on the next visit. The dates on the entries show how the building has changed, and the open entries show what the next season needs.

The checklist is not a substitute for a licensed visit. It is a way for the homeowner to see the building, to notice changes and to hand a clear list to the applicator.

Common misses on a winter walk

The entries most often missed on a winter walk are high ones, hidden ones and those behind stored items. Each one is checked on purpose, not by chance.

A high entry at the gable or the top of a dormer is missed when the walk is done from the ground only. The ladder or the attic check reaches it, and the list records it as checked or not checked.

A hidden entry behind a water heater, a stack of boxes or a shelf is missed when the walk does not move the item. The walk moves the item as far as the wall is needed, then puts it back.