Getting Your Home Ready for the Fall Weather
Crisp fall weather is just around the corner. Make sure that your home is ready inside and out for the cooler temperatures. This is the perfect time of year to take care of little jobs around the house before you are unable to perform certain tasks because of the weather conditions.
Here are a few things the average homeowner will be able to do on their own:
- Clean your gutters. Spring and summer storms can result in twigs and leaves getting stuck in your gutters. Failure to remove this debris can eventually lead to a blockage. When your rain gutters aren’t able to transport moisture off of the top of your home, it can damage your roofing and siding, and it may even lead to soil problems and a wet basement.
- Check seals around windows and doors. When cold weather arrives, you don’t want the chilly air getting into gaps around your window and door frames. If you need to fix a crack or opening, fill it in with weather-stripping materials from your local hardware store.
- Inspect your roof for damage or missing shingles. Get these problems taken care of before snow and ice arrive. If you have missing shingles or weak spots on top of your home, moisture from winter weather can cause serious damage.
- Check concrete surfaces for cracks. Take a look at your driveway, sidewalk, porch and patio and see if there are any noticeable cracks. They may be horizontal, vertical or even in a stair-step design. The cracks can be filled in with epoxy materials and a sealer.
- Get your furnace/boiler tuned-up. It is a smart idea to get your heating system maintained before the dead of winter. During a maintenance appointment, many problems can be caught and taken care of early on. At Oncourse Home Solutions, many of our brands offer Heating Maintenance Plans. Enter your zip code on our home page, and you will then be presented with a page of brand(s) available in your area. Click through to each website to see if heating service is an option for you.
- Test your smoke alarm and CO detector. When the clocks go back this fall, it’s a perfect time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Test each alarm to make sure it’s working properly.
- Inspect your fireplace. Make sure the damper is opening and closing like it should. When it’s closed, you shouldn’t be able to see any daylight. Also, look at your chimney and inspect the cap and flue liner to make sure they are in good shape.
- Winterize your faucets and irrigation systems. If you have garden hoses or irrigation systems in or around your lawn, drain the water out of them and get them ready for the freezing weather.
As always, you are the best judge of what you can handle. So, if necessary, call in a professional to help out with these items. These fall tips will help you to get your home ready for the brisk weather to come.