Is Your Home Aging With You?

Many of us bought our homes when climbing stairs didn’t require a second thought and carrying laundry from the basement felt routine. The house was new, the layout worked, and maintenance seemed manageable.

Over time, both we and our homes have changed. Materials age. Design trends shift. And what once felt convenient may not feel quite as effortless as it used to. The good news is that you don’t need a major renovation to make your home safer and more comfortable for the years ahead. In fact, the smartest updates are often the simplest ones and they’re best made before they become urgent.

A good place to start is right at the front door. Entryways take a beating in New England. Freeze-thaw cycles shift walkways, railings loosen, and lighting fixtures dim or fail. Most household falls don’t happen during dramatic moments; they happen on familiar steps or uneven pavement. Repairing a loose railing, improving exterior lighting, or leveling a walkway may seem minor, but those small corrections make a meaningful difference in safety and confidence, especially during wet or icy months.

Bathrooms are another area worth rethinking. They’re also one of the most common places for accidents, yet many homeowners hesitate to make changes because they don’t want the space to feel clinical. Fortunately, today’s options allow for subtle, well-designed improvements. Grab bars can double as towel bars. Slip-resistant flooring blends seamlessly into modern tile designs. Low-threshold or curbless showers not only look updated, they remove one of the most common tripping points in the home. When these features are incorporated during a planned refresh, they feel like thoughtful upgrades,  not reactive fixes.

It’s also wise to consider how flexible your home’s layout really is. We’re not suggesting everyone relocate bedrooms tomorrow, but it’s worth asking whether your first floor could adapt if needed. Could a den serve as a temporary bedroom? Would relocating laundry to a more accessible area make daily life easier? Even small changes, like replacing round doorknobs with lever-style handles, can reduce strain and make everyday tasks more comfortable.

Lighting is another overlooked factor. As homes age, lighting often stays exactly as it was originally installed. Adding brighter, more evenly distributed light in stairwells, kitchens, garages, and basements improves visibility and reduces shadows. Under-cabinet lighting in a kitchen or motion-sensor lights in a garage aren’t luxury features; they’re practical improvements that make a home function better. Vision changes gradually over time, and thoughtful lighting adjustments help your home keep pace.

Beyond these updates, consistent maintenance becomes increasingly important in older homes. Loose deck boards, worn stair treads, aging caulking, cracked driveways, and deteriorating exterior trim rarely cause immediate problems, but they do compound over time. Staying ahead of those small issues prevents larger repairs later and preserves the integrity of the home you’ve invested in for decades.

One of the most common situations we see is homeowners waiting until something becomes difficult before addressing it and emergency renovations create stress and limit options. Gradual planning allows for better decisions, better design, and often better budgeting. Making small, steady improvements over time keeps you in control.

A well-built home should support you for decades. The goal isn’t to change everything at once, and it certainly isn’t to overreact to normal aging of the house or its owner. It’s simply to ensure that your home continues to work with you. With a little foresight and regular attention, your home can remain safe, comfortable, and enjoyable for many years to come. And that’s always worth planning for.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. For remodeling or home improvement needs, call (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

How to Keep Your Basement Dry During the Winter Thaw

We’ve had weeks of below-zero temperatures and a solid foot of snow parked in our yards. Now the forecast is shifting into the 30s and 40s, and a whole lot of melting is happening. While that feels like progress, it’s actually one of the riskiest times of year for basement moisture problems.

Why? Because all that snow has to go somewhere, and if your home isn’t ready, it often heads straight for your foundation. So here’s how to stay ahead of snowmelt season and keep your basement dry while winter makes its messy exit.

Start with the Foundation

Your foundation is ground zero when the snow starts to melt. Take a walk around your home and look closely for cracks, gaps, or areas where water could sneak in. Even hairline cracks can become entry points once meltwater builds up.

Seal visible cracks with a quality waterproof masonry sealant, and pay attention to where the ground meets your foundation. If the soil has settled and now slopes toward the house, melting snow will follow that path right inside. Long-term, regrading may be needed, but even small fixes now can make a difference.

Clear Snow Away, Especially Now

Snow removal isn’t just about shoveling walkways. As temperatures rise, snow piled along the foundation, bulkhead, or basement windows becomes a slow-release water source.

Pull snow away from:

• Foundation walls

• Basement windows and window wells

• Bulkheads and exterior stairwells

This gives meltwater room to disperse instead of pooling against your home. Think of it as redirecting traffic before there’s a pileup.

Make Sure Gutters Can Handle the Thaw

When snow melts from the roof, gutters and downspouts become critical. If they’re clogged with leaves, ice, or debris, water will overflow and dump straight at your foundation, exactly where you don’t want it.

Check that:

• Gutters are clear and securely attached

• Downspouts are open and directing water several feet away from the house

• Ice hasn’t pulled gutters loose or changed their pitch

This is one of the most common causes of basement water during a thaw and one of the easiest to prevent.

Don’t Ignore Window Wells

Basement window wells love to collect snow, ice, and debris. When everything melts at once, those wells can fill up like a bathtub and leak straight through window frames.

Clear them out now and make sure the drains at the bottom are open and functioning. If you’ve had issues in the past, window well covers can help keep snow and water out altogether.

Prepare from the Inside, Too

If moisture does get in, you want to limit the damage. Interior waterproof coatings on basement walls can help reduce seepage, and a dehumidifier can keep humidity levels under control during the thaw, when damp air is common.

Condensation plus cold surfaces equals moisture, so controlling humidity helps prevent mold and musty smells from taking hold.

Test Your Sump Pump Before You Need It

Snowmelt can overwhelm a sump pump fast. Now is the time to test it, not during the first warm rain on top of melting snow.

Pour water into the sump pit to confirm it turns on, pumps efficiently, and drains properly outside. Clear any debris, and make sure the discharge pipe isn’t blocked by snow or ice.

If your sump pump fails during a thaw, water can rise quickly and cleanup is never fun.

A winter thaw might feel like relief, but it’s also when many homeowners discover problems they didn’t know they had. A little attention now can save you from water damage, mold, and expensive repairs later.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. For remodeling or home improvement needs, call (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

10 Last-Minute Ways to Protect Your Home During Extreme Cold

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks talking about frozen pipes and ice dams, and unfortunately, this weekend is shaping up to be the coldest stretch of the year. When temperatures drop this low, small oversights can turn into expensive problems fast.

The good news? You don’t need to panic or run out and spend a fortune to help your home ride out extreme cold. A few simple, last-minute steps can make a real difference now and help prevent bigger repair bills down the road.

Here are 10 practical things you can do before (and during) a deep freeze.

1. Let faucets drip just a little

A slow, steady drip keeps water moving through pipes, making them far less likely to freeze. Focus on faucets connected to exterior walls, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas.

2. Open cabinet doors under sinks

This allows warm air from your home to circulate around plumbing. It’s simple, free, and surprisingly effective, especially overnight when temperatures hit their lowest point.

3. Turn the thermostat up a few degrees

This isn’t the weekend to save on heating costs. A slightly warmer house helps protect pipes in walls, basements, and crawlspaces. Consistent heat is better than dramatic temperature swings.

4. Check that vents and returns aren’t blocked

Furniture, rugs, or curtains blocking vents can reduce heat circulation, creating cold pockets near exterior walls. Make sure warm air can move freely throughout your home.

5. Seal obvious drafts (temporarily is fine)

If you feel cold air coming in around doors or windows, stop it now. Towels, draft snakes, or temporary weatherstripping can help seal gaps quickly and cheaply until permanent fixes can be made later.

6. Make sure attic hatches are closed and sealed

An open or poorly sealed attic hatch allows warm air to escape, cooling your home and contributing to ice dam formation. Even a quick check can help keep heat where it belongs.

7. Clear snow away from foundations and vents

Snow piled against your house can refreeze and cause ice buildup near foundations. Also check dryer vents, furnace exhausts, and intake pipes to make sure they’re clear and functioning properly.

8. Avoid shutting off heat in unused rooms

Closing doors and turning off heat may seem logical, but it can actually increase the risk of frozen pipes in those areas. Keep temperatures consistent throughout the house.

9. Know where your main water shutoff is

This doesn’t cost a dime but it’s critical. If a pipe does burst, shutting off the water quickly can dramatically reduce damage. If you’re not sure where it is, take five minutes to find it now.

10. Don’t ignore warning signs

Unusual drafts, dripping sounds, frost on pipes, or doors suddenly sticking can all be early indicators of cold-weather stress on your home. Addressing small issues now can prevent major repairs later.

A quick reminder

Extreme cold tests even well-maintained homes. These steps aren’t about perfection, they’re about reducing risk and giving your house the best chance to get through a tough weekend unscathed.

If you’ve already dealt with ice dams, frozen pipes, or winter damage in the past, it may be worth having a professional take a look once temperatures rise. Preventative maintenance is almost always cheaper than emergency repairs.

Stay warm, stay safe, and let’s all get through this cold snap without any surprise phone calls to our insurance companies.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros., Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. For remodeling needs, contact O’Donnell Bros., Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Submit questions to Bob at info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. Advice is for guidance only.