Save money and avoid problems around the house with our curated fall maintenance checklist!
It is the euphoric time of year where there is only a slight chill in the air and everyone is loving their pumpkin spice lattes and enjoying the fall leaves, the pumpkin patches or trying to master a local corn maze! It seems like everyone is outside trying to soak up the last few weeks of the non-snowy weather! We know most people are not ready for the winter weather to hit yet (although some of you are, and that’s awesome!), but there are certain things around the house that should be done to ensure your home is properly secure and ready for those winter months! We came up with a checklist to make it super easy for you to get out there and get it done in no time!
Inspect caulking around the house
This is a tedious task, but a very important one. Check window frames, door frames, phone and cable openings and make sure they are properly caulked! This will keep the moisture out of your home, which is really important for health reasons and to keep your home in good shape. If you are a handy person, this is something you can definitely do yourself! There are also professionals you can call to get this done for you too! This simple task can even lessen your heating bill this winter!
Test stability & strength of railing(s)
This is important for many reasons. You want to ensure that you and your family have a safe railing to grab onto once the slippery ice makes its way onto surfaces. Another thing that most people don’t realize is that if someone slipped while on your property without a safe railing, it can be a liability! We all work so hard to protect the people we love, don’t skip on this task!
Furnace tune up & changing of the furnace filter
When something happens to your furnace in the middle of winter it is not fun. We live somewhere where it can get extremely cold in the winter and without the warmth of your furnace it would be less than desirable. Call in someone who specializes in that and get them to look at your furnace! While you might think that is an unnecessary task- the cost of a minor repair or small checkup bill is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars you would have to spend to replace your furnace if something larger happened. The furnace filter, however, is something that you can definitely handle doing yourself! Keeping your furnace filter fresh and changing it out once a month can really help with so many health issues that linger in the winter months.
Clean dryer vents
This will keep your dryer running smoothly and take away the risk of a fire! If you need an informative video on how to do this, here you go! https://youtu.be/G30EMOn1Cq8
Seal any gaps from critters
It’s the time of year that critters are seeking warm shelter and places to live during the winter months, your home happens to be a perfect spot for them. It is important to walk around the exterior of your house and check for cracks in the foundation and really any openings that may be present that the little critters can creep into! If you find one, you will want to make sure you seal up that hole to prevent your home from being infested by critters. They aren’t the greatest house guests and can even cause a fire if they start nibbling on the wires in your home.
Check weather stripping
This one you will want to do for the same reasons as fixing and re-doing the caulking. Keep that breezy, cold air out and keep that warm air in!
Shut off the exterior taps and water hoses
Pipes freeze up and can burst which can be very expensive for a homeowner. Make sure you shut off the exterior taps and hoses to keep things running well and avoid big projects in the Spring.
Clean your gutters
We all have either experienced or know of someone who has experienced flooding in the basement. This can happen from debris built up in your gutters. There is a reason those gutters are there! They are there to keep the moisture/melting, rain, etc. away from the foundation and reduce erosion in your home as well as prevent leaks! So get out there and clean those gutters, but make sure you do it in the safest way possible!
That’s it, YOU ARE DONE!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and sleep a little better knowing that you properly secured your home for Winter!