5 Important Fall Home Maintenance Tasks
Fall is officially here! Follow this checklist to get all of the basic fall home maintenance out of the way before the snow flies.
#1 Clean Gutters
Cleaning out the gutters can be a dirty, annoying task, but imagine if you left it over the winter until spring. What a mess could that leave you with! There could be water overflowing from the eaves because they are clogged with ice, leaves and other debris. The lack of proper drainage could also cause issues for your roof and home which can be a huge expense. As unpleasant and inconvenient of a task this is, it would be in your best interest to clean eaves out once the leaves have fallen.
#2 Use Your Lawn Mower With a Bag to Collect Leaves Instead of Raking Them Up.
Raking up leaves in the yard can be labor intensive, especially if you have to do it by hand! Consider using a lawn mower to make this job easy. It will pick up the leaves and then you can bag them the same way you would grass. If you don’t have a bag for your lawn mower you can still use it to mulch up leaves. Mulched leaves are hardly noticeable in the grass so you can probably get away without picking them up. Also, it’s great fertilizer!
#3 Inspect Your Roof
Inspecting the condition of your roof is something that should be done regularly. You can do this yourself or hire a contractor. Either way, you will want to ensure that the entire roof is checked for any potential issues with the shingles, vents or flashing. This includes checking for any holes or soft spots in the roof. Failing to locate an issue with your roof now could lead to additional damage due to moisture entering your home. Furthermore, it is best to address these issues while the weather is still desirable and repairs are easily made.
#4 Inspect Window Trim for Leaks
Ensuring that the openings to your home have proper insulation is important. Inspect all of your windows and doors for any drafts and install caulking or weather stripping as required to ensure that any gaps or leaks are properly sealed. Improper insulation around windows and doors allows heat to escape from your home which leads to increased heating costs.
#5 Inspect Your Heating System
Maintaining your heating system is extremely important, especially as the temperatures begin to dip down. If you are capable of checking this yourself then do so, but if not, hire a professional to come and take a look. If you have a furnace you will want to make sure that you change the filter before firing it up for the first time. Annual maintenance of your heating system can help prevent an unexpected breakdown with a costly service bill attached to it.
Hopefully this small list will help you enjoy the fall months even more!