Colder temperatures and yellowing leaves serve as a reminder that the fall season is fast approaching. Summer may not be over quite yet, but it’s still an excellent time to do some seasonal maintenance to keep your home in tip-top condition. A little bit of attention now will go a long way to save you from costly repairs and aggravation later.
The following are 9 easy tips to prepare yourself and your home for the Fall season.
1. Clean Out Rain Gutters
All the fallen leaves and debris that you neglected while you were out picnicking, hiking, or barbecuing this summer have built up in your gutters. If left full of muck, clogged gutters and drains can form water or ice dams that prevent your drainage systems from working properly. This can lead to water finding its way into your home, which will cause all kinds of issues and extra expenses.
Save yourself the trouble of repairing a leak or fixing water damage by simply cleaning your gutters and drains now. Also, make sure to run water through the gutters to check for misalignments that could also lead to water damage.
Video On The Best Ways To Clean Your Rain Gutters
2. Store and/or Protect Your Outdoor Furniture
Unfortunately, the season for backyard get-togethers and parties is coming to an end. To help ensure that next summer’s parties are well-prepared for, you will want to make sure that your outdoor furniture is stored and covered properly. How this is done will depend on the type of furniture you own.
Prior to storage, wooden furniture should be resealed to protect the wood and then covered. Prevent rust on metal furniture by sealing with wax or paint. Plastic and wicker furniture simply needs to be washed. Also, keep any cushions indoors to prevent mold from developing on the inside or out.
3. Seal Your Home
We stress this point often, but it is vital for your home energy savings to ensure there are no air leaks in your home. Warm air will escape out of any cracks or broken seals and can make your heating system work overtime to warm your home. The more your heater or furnace has to run, the more it will increase the cost on your utility bill to heat your home.
Use caulk and weatherstripping to seal windows and doors effectively without costing a fortune. Some other ways to prevent hot air escaping from your home include: covering your kitchen exhaust fan when it is not in use and sealing all possible air leaks around the chimney, furnace, and water heater vents.
Video On How To Weatherize Your Home
4. Clean or Change Filters
This is one of your standard new house cleaning tasks and if you haven’t done it already, now is the time. Heater and furnace filters trap dust that would otherwise be deposited on your carpets, furniture, countertops, and so on. Clogged filters make it harder to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home and can seriously increase your utility bills. A simple monthly cleaning is all it takes to keep these filters breathing free and clear.
Use a soft brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean filters. Generally, disposable filters can be cleaned once before replacement. Foam filters can also be cleaned, but they don’t need to be replaced unless they are broken or damaged.
5. Clean the Oven
Cleaning the oven is far from a popular household chore, but it’s certainly a good idea to give it a deep clean at this time of year. With Holiday feasts around the corner, it’s important to have all your indoor cooking appliances in top shape. This is especially true if you’re planning on spending a lot of time at home during the colder months.
There are plenty of household products you can purchase to make this process easier. You can also use common household items for a natural way to clean your oven. Do some research on which way fits best for you and get to scrubbing.
Video On How To Clean Your Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar
6. Test Winter Equipment
Fall is at your doorstep but the winter months are fast approaching. It’s important to be prepared for whatever mother nature has to throw at you this season. The worst time to realize your snowblower doesn’t work or your snow shovel is broken is the morning after a blizzard.
Avoid the hassle by checking that you have all the winter essentials you need while it’s still a little warm outside. This is also a good time to stock up on things such as propane and extra firewood. A bit of preparation will go a long way in the months to come.
7. Clean Chimney
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, the fall is the time to make sure your chimney is clean from last year’s soot. Ideally, you would want to make sure the chimney is cleaned after the season so that soot doesn’t sit all year long, but the fall is a great time too.
Hire a local chimney sweep company to come out and clean your chimney. You can attempt it yourself, but it will likely be much easier to hire someone who has the right tools and knows what they’re doing.
8. Get Heating System Checked & Serviced
You will be using your heating system frequently during the upcoming months. It’s best to get whichever system you have checked and/or serviced before you start using it again.
9. 360 Inspection Of Your Home
The fall is the best time to go around your home and check for anything that may need to be fixed before the cold and wet weather come. Check out this article on how to give your house a yearly home inspection to make sure your home is all up to par and running great.
