Fall Home Maintenance Tips

Fall is the perfect time to take care of the little things that can make a big difference for you and your home. Most of the tasks listed below are well with-in the average person’s ability. But even if you choose to have a professional handle them, it’s worth the expense.

• Check your Gutters.  Check your gutters and make sure they are clean and that your downspouts are carrying the water away from your home’s foundation.
• Check your furnace.  Have your furnaced cleaned and tuned annually.  Check the furnace filters monthly.  A dirty filter impedes air flow and reduces efficiency.
• Pipes.  Make sure that the water to your hose bibs and sprinkler system are turned off and the lines drained.  Next, look for pipes that are not insulated that run through uninsulated areas (garages, crawl spaces, etc.) and wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or insulation.
• Get on top of Roof Problems.  Inspect your roof.
• Leaks.  Block those leaks.  The most common areas are recessed lighting, window and door frames and electrical outlets.  Install door sweeps under exterior doors.
• Fireplace.  If the chimney has not been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.  Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
• Alarms.  Check and replace the batteries on smoke detectors.  Detectors should be replaced every 10 years. Also, invest in a carbon-monoxide detector.
• Ceiling fans.  Run ceiling fans in reverse, warm air pooled near the ceiling is circulated.
• Prepare Landscaping and Outdoor Surfaces.  Trim trees if branches hang too close to the ground or electrical wires.
• Foundation.  Check foundations by raking away debris.  Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.  Seal foundation cracks.  Secure crawl space entrances.

If you need a referral for any of the items listed above, let us know and we will be happy to help you.