What home jobs should you do in December?

December home maintenance: the checklist

The jobs worth doing in December fall into two groups: keeping rain out of the home and keeping the festive season safe. Treat these eight points as your year end home checklist, and repeat the water checks every week until the wet weather eases.

1. Clear drains and floor traps. Lift each floor trap grating, remove hair and debris, and clear leaves from gutters and outdoor drains.
2. Check for roof and ceiling leaks. After heavy rain, look at the ceilings for damp patches, stains or bubbling paint.
3. Check window seals. Look for cracked or missing sealant and for water marks on the sill and the wall below.
4. Test festive lights. Plug each set in before you hang it, and put aside any set with damaged wires. Our festive lighting safety post goes through the details.
5. Place candles safely. Use stable holders and keep lit candles well clear of anything that can catch fire.
6. Check outlets are not overloaded. Spread lights and appliances across several wall sockets instead of stacking adaptors on one.
7. Do the Mozzie Wipeout weekly. Tip out stagnant water from pails, plant saucers and trays at least once a week.
8. Prepare the home before travel. Lock up, unplug what you will not need, turn over pails and cover floor traps before you leave.

If a check turns up something you cannot fix yourself, take photos for the contractor. The cost of any repair depends on the job, so ask what the quote includes.

Why December: the weather

Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) explains that the Northeast Monsoon runs from December to early March. Its wet phase is usually December to early January, and rainfall is higher from November to January. The dry phase that follows, usually late January to early March, is windy and relatively dry, and February is the driest month.

So the wet phase arrives just as many homes put up decorations, host guests and plan trips away. A weak point in the roof, a window or a drain is more likely to show itself when there is more rain testing it.

Doing the leak and drain checks early in the month gives you room to arrange any repair at a time that suits you.

For more rainy-season jobs, see our guide to monsoon season home care.

Leaks and drains

These checks are practical advice, not any agency's rule. After the first heavy rains, look at the ceiling under the roof and around every window. Damp patches, brown stains, bubbling paint and a musty smell can all mean water is getting in. Check window seals for cracked or missing sealant, and look for water marks on the sill and the wall below.

Keep floor trap gratings clear. Hair, soap and leaves collect on the grating and slow the drain, and a slow trap can overflow in a heavy downpour. Lift the grating, clear what has gathered, and run water to check it drains. In a landed home, clear gutters and downpipes too.

If you live directly under the roof and see a stain spreading across the ceiling, our guide to a top floor roof leak covers the next steps.

Festive fire safety

Lights, candles and extra cooking all add to fire risk at year end. Good Christmas home safety starts with the home fire safety checklist in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Emergency Handbook. SCDF's checklist says to:

• not overload electrical outlets
• keep wires in good condition, with no broken insulation
• keep lighted candles away from paper or cardboard decorations and curtains, in stable holders on a heat-resistant surface
• supervise children with sparklers
• never leave cooking unattended
• keep escape paths clear

In practice, plug festive lights into a wall socket rather than a crowded multi-plug, check each set for bare wires before it goes up, and switch decorations off at night and when you go out. Stand candle holders on a tray, well away from the tree. Keep the path to your main door free of boxes and spare chairs.

Mosquitoes and travel

The National Environment Agency (NEA) says Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean, stagnant water, and that water as small as a 20-cent coin is enough. NEA asks households to do the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week, and it carries out dengue inspections of homes. Check plant saucers, pails, vases and gutters each week.

As practical advice, before a trip turn over pails and basins and cover floor traps, since nobody will be home to tip out water. Lock the windows and unplug what you will not need. Our checklist for before an overseas trip covers the rest.

January brings the next round of jobs. If you plan a big clean before Chinese New Year, the Chinese New Year cleaning timeline breaks it into stages.

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