Fall is your last chance to get your home ready for winter. There are important items on your fall home maintenance checklist that need to be completed to prepare your property for colder weather.
Fall Home Maintenance Should Include Tree Work
One important fall task is to clear dead or dying limbs from your trees. Tree trimming will save your home and vehicles from being damaged by a dead branch that falls in the winter. Look for things like brown pine needles or ash trees that have leaves with yellow spots. These are signs of disease. If you see any of these problems, call a professional arborist for advice.
Conduct a Fall Maintenance Exterior Inspection
Make sure that your home is fully sealed and secure for the winter. Examine areas around doors, windows, and anywhere that two dissimilar surfaces meet to see if you need to add more caulking. Doors and windows may need new weatherstripping if there isn’t a good seal. New weatherstripping and well-sealed windows will help you heat your home more efficiently.
Inspect your roof for gaps or missing shingles and make sure the gutters are not clogged. If either is an issue, you can end up with water damage and repair expenses. After cleaning gutters, install gutter guards to help keep leaves out.
Fill Driveway Cracks and Seal
If you have cracks in your driveway, fill them now to keep them from becoming potholes later. Concrete will expand and contract with weather changes, worsening an already existing problem. This task along with many fall home maintenance items are simply preventative and will save you money in the future.
Close and Insulate Outside Faucets
Your outdoor faucets will be exposed to dropping temperatures and may freeze. Drain the faucet and turn off the water supply. Styrofoam covers for outdoor faucets at home improvement and hardware stores are inexpensive and effectively protect the fixtures. Drain your garden hose and store it during freezing weather.
For Fall Home Maintenance, Inspect and Service Heating Systems
Whether your heat comes from a wood stove, pellet stove, furnace, or heat pump, have a qualified technician come out and service your heating system. Some key points are changing filters, vacuuming the system, testing for proper operation, and inspecting and cleaning chimneys and flues. If you have a wood or pellet stove, inspect the near chimney for tree branches that may have grown too close.
Tackling your fall home maintenance checklist, making necessary repairs, and servicing heating components will help you stay warm and safe in your home throughout the cold season.
Eagle 1 Home Inspection provides home inspections to San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and the surrounding areas in Southern California. Contact us to schedule an appointment.