Fall Home Maintenance Tips
It is hard to imagine that anyone really enjoys home maintenance chores. These chores usually consist of climbing under, through, or over spaces on or in your home that the human body was not designed to deal with. If you are lucky enough to avoid crawling through tight spaces, you might instead find yourself in a pitched battle with the unruly weeds and bushes that have taken over your backyard.
Regardless of the actual chore, I am willing to bet there are at least ten things that you would rather spend your time doing. Unfortunately, if you do not bump home maintenance up on your list of priorities it is going to end up costing you in the long run. An easy way to ensure that your home stays in tip-top shape is to take one day this fall to prepare your home for the coming winter.
The following list of tips should get you started on the task of making your home winter-proof and snug.
Fan the fires - It does not matter how warm a climate you live in during the summer, temperatures everywhere begin to drop during October and November. Your forced-air or water heating system deserves an annual checkup, and it might as well be now. Electric heating systems require only that you vacuum the baseboard units and check the thermostats. With a forced-air furnace, get a professional tune-up, replace dirty filters, and be sure that all registers and grilles are clean and clear.
Get out of the gutter - Overhanging trees have the annoying tendency of littering our roofs and rain gutters with fallen leaves. These leaves will clog our drainage systems and cause water to dam and overflow. Clean your gutters after most of the leaves have fallen to prevent clogging. To keep gutters clear for next fall, install mesh or perforated leaf shields.
Caulk the cracks - Caulk can help keep out dirt, moisture, sound, and radon gas, and improve the general appearance of your home. Caulk before painting for a more finished look. Caulk where masonry meets siding, where pipes or wires enter the house, around window and door frames, and at corner joints formed by siding.
Insulate and ventilate -Common sense tells us that because heat rises, insulation counts most above living spaces. Indeed, insulating attic floors and sealing air leaks will keep your house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. If there is no flooring over the ceiling joists, adding loose insulation is as easy as emptying the bags and spreading an even layer. If your attic has flooring, you may need to insulate between the roof rafters. Don't block vents in the gables, or eaves. These vents let air flow above the insulation to prevent overheating in the summer and moisture buildup and condensation in the winter.
Raise the roof -Inspecting the roof twice a year should become a routine. From the ground, use binoculars to look for missing, loose, or damaged shingles. Then trace any leaks from inside the attic. In fall, you may need to replace missing shingles, cement down curled edges, and recaulk where plumbing stacks, cable brackets, or antennae penetrate the roof. If you're hesitant about scaling the heights, hire a reputable roofer.