Quantcast
Channel: Home Improvement Advisors » Advice
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 5

21 Ways To Take Care Of Your Home This Fall

0
0

Fall is almost here-and you know what this means, right? Well it means the harsh, bitter weather of winter is right around the corner and there are things to do to ensure your home is ready for the battle. Here are 21 ways to take care of your home this fall:

1. Clean the gutters.

Depending on how much foliage you have surrounding your home, this might just need to be done once after all of the leaves have fallen for the season-for many homes though, gutter cleaning will be necessary a couple of times as the trees shed their leaves for autumn. (Tip: Having gutter covers installed does prevent a great deal of maintenance!)

2. Have your chimneys inspected and cleaned.

Before even thinking about building a fire in your wood burning fireplace as the weather cools down, be sure to have your chimney professionally checked and cleaned if necessary. The expense is minimal, and the peace of mind in knowing your fireplace is perfectly safe to operate is invaluable. Need some extra persuasion? Here are 23,600 reasons to have your chimney maintained.

3. Seal any cracks and crevices in the home’s exterior envelope.

Various circumstances can cause gaps or cracks around exterior windows, trim, doors, and numerous other locations. If it’s a major problem, call a contractor to take the appropriate course of action. However, for minor non-structural issues, use the correct caulking or expanding spray foam to prevent cold air and critters from entering the home as the weather cools.

4. Have the heating system inspected and tuned.

Regardless of whether you have steam, forced hot air, heat pump, or radiant heating, fall is the recommended time of the year for a professional heating system inspection. This can not only prevent dangerous problems such as carbon monoxide leakage, but an annual tune-up will also help keep your furnace operating at peak efficiency and help prevent major breakdowns.

5. Do a foundation walk-around.

This should only take a minute or two, but could be vitally important. Inspect your home’s foundation to look for any new cracks or deteriorating tuck pointing. If you see anything out of the ordinary, call a pro to address the situation before winter’s freeze/thaw cycle has the opportunity to make the problem many times worse.

6. Trim the trees.

Large trees are certainly beautiful and beneficial to a property in many ways. But it’s also very important-and often easy to overlook-to keep them healthy and trimmed up. Whether it’s from storm damage, natural process, tree disease, or critters causing damage, trees do need to be pruned of any troublesome branches on a regular basis. A good time to take care of this is in the fall before winter ice and heavy snow cause the trees to fail and cause significant damage to your property.

7. Put in the storm windows.

If your home’s windows utilize storm windows or storm doors that require swapping the screens with glass for the season, don’t forget to take care of this task before the first cold front swings through. Properly utilized storm windows make a notable difference on the heating bill.

8. Consider adding more insulation.

Fall is the perfect time to have additional insulation added to your home when it’s been noted that there are under-insulated locations that could use some protective beefing up. And even if your home is properly insulated, it’s not a bad idea to take a peak in the attic and other visible locations to make sure cellulose or fiberglass insulation isn’t smashed down or blown away in any places-this significantly reduces its efficiency.

9. Paint unfinished exterior surfaces while it’s still warm.

Because it’s just not a good idea to try and paint outside once the temperatures begin to drop (the paint won’t cure correctly at below manufacturer-spec temps), early fall is usually the last opportunity to tend to unfinished or peeling painted surfaces before the harsh winter weather can damage the areas even further.

10. Winterize outdoor hardscape features.

Outdoor garden water features, birdbaths, and similar outdoor décor should be properly arranged, covered, or stored before winter hits. Especially true with water features-all water needs to be drained and the items covered or placed so no new water accumulates and freezes. Make sure all related electrical circuits are also switched off or disconnected as well.

11. Turn off outdoor water sources.

Sometime during fall, before the first hard freeze, you’ll want to ensure that all outdoor water sources like garden hose spigots are turned off at their valves indoors. This keeps freezing at the source from causing frozen and broken pipes indoors-a major issue that no one wants to deal with!

12. Cover outdoor air conditioning compressors.

It’s always good maintenance to use a specialized cover or a secured tarp to cover up exterior A/C compressors once the air conditioning season has passed. Doing so will help prolong the lifespan of this very expensive piece of equipment. However, if your home has a heat pump unit, then this step is definitely not for you-as it will run all winter long. Not sure? Ask a pro first.

13. Cut back shrubs and plants.

Some perennial plants actually require proper fall pruning in order to come back strong and healthy the next season. Others will just be unsightly over winter and can be trimmed back to avoid this. Read up on the specific plants you have in your landscaping or garden for the best fall maintenance procedures.

14. Drain your home’s hot water heater.

Once a year in the fall is the perfect time to drain your hot water heater to clear out any efficiency-blocking sediment that’s built up over the course of the year. All you’ll need is a garden hose and an hour or so of time to keep your showers hotter longer over the winter. Here’s how to properly drain the water heater.

15. Change those smoke detector batteries.

Essential to your family’s safety, testing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors a couple of times per year is so important. While you’re at it, go ahead and just replace the batteries-it’s not worth taking any chances. And remember, most hard-wired detectors still utilize backup batteries too. One good way to remember this task in both the fall and the spring is to take care of it when the time changes and you have to reset all of the clocks in your home.

16. Waterproof decking surfaces.

Exterior wooden decks especially should be treated with a water sealant or seal & stain product at least every couple of years or so. Doing this in early fall is ideal because the freshly applied sealant will provide a good barrier of resistance to lingering snow and ice over the winter. Check into how to properly maintain non-wooden surfaces as well-they can sometimes require treatment too.

17. Clean out your dryer hose and vent.

This should be done more than just once a year in the fall, but this is a good time to make note of it. Dryer hoses and exterior vents tend to accumulate a decent build up of lint with regular use. Sometimes this problem can even cause complete blockage or jam up the flap on the exterior dryer vent. If this happens, it could result in fire, moisture damage (the hose does expel the moisture from the wet clothing), and also will certainly reduce the lifespan and efficiency of the dryer. Here’s a good overview of dryer maintenance.

18. Perform fall lawn care.

In most parts of the U.S., fall is the single best time to take care of lawn maintenance such as fertilizing, de-thatching, aeration, proper raking, and seeding. It’s a common misconception that leaving a layer of leaves on the lawn over the winter is good for the grass-in reality, doing this actually suffocates the yard. Remember, a lawn that’s prepared before winter will come back stronger and healthier than ever in the spring. Fall is also the ideal time of the year to plant new landscaping features.

19. Repair and seal cracked or loose concrete.

A common problem on driveways, garage floors, and on patios, chipped or cracked concrete should be repaired and sealed before winter hits. The freeze and thaw cycle of winter will make concrete problems much worse, as will many commonly used ice melting products. Be proactive with your concrete.

20. Inspect all interior hoses.

Rubber and plastic hoses and connectors frequently used to connect the water source to washing machines, toilets, ice makers, and underneath sinks do deteriorate over time. Checking them at least once a year, such as when performing autumn home maintenance, and replacing as necessary will prevent a major catastrophe should one of these hoses or connectors break unexpectedly.

21. Give your home a good top to bottom once-over.

If we’ve skipped anything here, chances are you’ll be able to catch it by taking the time to really look your entire house over-from basement to attic and all points in between. By doing your own comprehensive general interior and exterior inspection at least once a year (with a pencil and paper to take notes), you’ll be able to keep track of issues that need immediate attention, as well as those that you should just be keeping an eye on for the time being.

Diligently performing annual fall maintenance on your home and property will not only help prevent unexpected problems from arising when least expected, it will also save you plenty of money in the long run-an ambition that we can certainly all appreciate!


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 5

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images