As the leaves change and the air gets cooler, it is time to embrace the beauty of autumn! Cozy sweaters, apple cider, pumpkin-spiced everything, and late-night talks around the bonfire are getting ready to take center stage. But did you know that fall is also the perfect season for home maintenance tasks? Fall is an ideal time to work on home projects without worrying about summer heat or winter cold extremes. As you are getting ready to transition from summer to fall, ensure your home is just as ready as you are. Below, you will find a guide to the essential home maintenance tasks that you need to tackle this fall to prepare your home for the chilly months ahead. Let's get started!
Importance of Seasonal Home Maintenance
Getting in the rhythm of maintaining your home each season allows you to proactively identify and address potential issues before they turn into costly repairs. Did you know a well-maintained home is also more energy-efficient? Most importantly, maintaining your home ensures that it remains a safe and healthy environment for you and your family. Seasonal home maintenance is a proactive approach to safeguarding your investment, ensuring your family's safety, and promoting a comfortable and efficient living environment. It's a small investment of time and money that pays off in numerous ways over the life of your home!
Fall Exterior Home Maintenance To-Do's
1. Inspect and repair the roof. Check for any obvious signs of damage that need to be repaired, such as missing or damaged shingles, loose or curling shingles, or debris like branches or leaves that need to be removed. Also, check the roof's overall condition. Is it sagging or uneven in any areas? These can be indicators of structural problems that need to be addressed.
2. Clean and repair the gutters. Maintaining clean gutters allows for a seamless flow of rainwater away from your home. When gutters become clogged, water can seep into your home, potentially causing roof leaks and infiltrating your walls and ceilings. If left unattended, this moisture can rapidly lead to mold growth.
3. Examine all windows and exterior doors. Check the weatherstripping on all doors and windows, ensuring it fits snugly and cannot be lifted from the surface. If you notice any wear and tear, promptly replace it. Additionally, inspect your window and door frames to ensure they are not warped and that everything aligns correctly, leaving no gaps. Not only will this maintenance project keep out unwanted rain and pests, but it will also lower your heating bill this winter!
4. Seal all the gaps. Use a silicone-based caulk to seal any gaps and cracks in your exterior to keep the cold and pests out. Seal gaps at the junctions of siding and overhanging eaves and where utility cables or pipes enter your home. Make sure you have a cap or wire mesh around any chimney openings.
5. Check for leaks and water damage. Undetected leaks can lead to expensive water damage in your home. Check for leaks in the basement or crawl space, under sinks, around faucets, around your toilets, bathtubs, showers, and under any appliances that may leak, such as dishwashers and refrigerators. Once you've fixed the leaks, be sure to address any discovered water damage.
6. Winterize your lawn and landscaping. Giving your grass some autumn TLC now will ensure you'll have a healthy green lawn next spring. Take care of visible weeds, aerate your lawn, reseed bare patches, and overseed the whole lawn with added fertilizer if necessary. Stay on top of frequent raking throughout autumn. Allowing leaves to accumulate and lay on your lawn for more than a few days can cause damage to grass blades. Clean up the lines around walkways, flower beds, and trim bushes to present a neat and tidy yard all winter. And before winter storms approach, remove any dangerous or dangling tree branches near your home. Heavy snow and ice accumulation on branches can lead to breakage, potentially causing damage.
7. Drain and insulate outdoor spigots. After all of your fall lawn watering is complete, it is essential to protect outdoor water spigots by disconnecting all garden hoses. If possible, turn off the water supply to outdoor spigots and drain any remaining water. Additionally, consider adding insulated domes around each spigot to provide extra protection.
Fall Interior Home Maintenance To-Do's
1. Service the HVAC system. Seasonal maintenance is essential for keeping your HVAC running as efficiently as possible. Servicing the system in the fall can help provide warmth all winter long. And if it has been over three months since you changed the filter on your HVAC return, do that now! The dirtier your air filter, the harder the system has to work to keep your home at the desired temperature.
2. Inspect and clean the fireplace and chimney. The National Fire Protection Association recommends both your chimney and fireplace be inspected for safety and cleaned annually. Creosote, an oily wood-tar by-product that can adhere to chimney walls, can potentially escalate fires out of control.
3. Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms - Smoke detectors and fire alarms alert your family to fire and dangerous smoke while there is still time to evacuate. Carbon monoxide detectors notify you when your home contains hazardous levels of this toxic, odorless gas. To guarantee their correct operation, conduct monthly tests and change the batteries in these important devices twice a year. Replacing batteries during the transition to and from daylight saving time in the spring and fall provides a convenient way to remember this important task.
4. Evaluate insulation in the attic. Many homes are under-insulated, especially in the attic. Poor insulation allows unwanted winter cold and summer heat to seep indoors, particularly in upper areas of the home. Upgrading the insulation in your home can stabilize indoor temperature both in the winter and summer.
How to Store Your Stuff During Home Projects
Portable storage containers are popular for home maintenance and improvement projects. A portable storage container is like having your own storage facility on your property without the hassles that traditional self-storage areas force you through. Storage containers from 1-800-PACK-RAT can store all your project materials out of the way while keeping them readily accessible 24/7. If you have a more significant project in mind, we can help you make plans to completely clear items out of your home while maintaining the flexibility of having those items on hand when needed.
If your project is going to take a few months and you don't want to keep the container on your property, additional storage options can be provided. We can pick up your portable storage containers at your convenience and store your belongings in a local, secure warehouse facility as long as needed. When using a portable storage container, you have the flexibility to adjust both delivery and storage dates with ease using MyPackRat. Every customer automatically receives a My PackRat account offering 24/7 access to manage your order, schedule dates, view payment history, get packing/moving tips, and more.
The rewards of proactive fall home maintenance are measured in terms of a well-kept home and the peace of mind it brings. A little effort now can yield substantial rewards in the form of comfort, savings, and pride of homeownership. So get started today, ensuring your home remains warm and inviting throughout the fall and beyond. Embrace the season, embrace the fall home maintenance checklist, and embrace the peace of mind of a well-maintained home.