Prepare Your Home for Cooler Weather

For many, cooler months signals a time of pumpkin spiced lattes and warm sweaters. That may be true, but for a homeowner, it’s also a time when you need to consider some home maintenance tasks. It’s vital to keep your home in tip-top shape, no matter what season.  Heading into colder weather signals a time to check the safety of fireplace chimneys and sealed doors. Falling leaves are a worry for clogged gutters and more. Following are some home maintenance tasks that your absolutely should not neglect going into fall.

Examine your roof

Your roof is likely to have taken quite the battering from the weather over the past few months. As the part of the home most exposed to the elements, you should consider having your roof inspected for any damage. Even small bits of damage, such as a cracked or chipped tile, and missing shingles can lead to leaks that spread water damage from the top of the home, down. Ask friends and family for references on who to contact for professional roofing companies in your area. Always hire local contractors and not one that just popped in from out of state to make a quick buck. Hiring  a professional might be something you want to wait on. You should still carefully (using strict safety precautions) examine your roof for any drips or leaks. Finding leaks that you can’t repair means it’s time to call in the professionals.

Check for drafts

Can you see daylight around your exterior doors? Do you feel the cold air seeping in around your windows? If so, you are losing valuable heating or cooling in your home, and that is costing you money in utility bills. To keep your heating and cooling costs as low as possible, ensuring the seals around windows and doors cannot be ignored. You heating and cooling systems have to work much harder and longer to heat your home if you have vulnerable areas allowing cold air to flow in.

Check your gutters

Having gutters in good working condition is so important. Gutters around your house ensure water will be carried away from your foundation. This is help keep erosion around your foundation to a minimum. Gutters that are clogged with debris do not allow water to flow to the downspout. This in turn causes water to back up and can work it’s way under shingles causing leaks inside the home. Falling leaves are notorious for clogging gutters.

Keeping gutters clear of debris help keep a flood of water from damaging the area around your home. This will help protect the integrity of your foundation and keep your home in the best condition possible. Consider investing in seamless gutter installation, to keep clogs to a minimum.

Maintain your lawn

One area of home maintenance that cannot be ignored is your lawn; even in cooler months. There are several things you need to do in the cooler months that will help give a beautiful lawn come spring. You need to plan ahead and check to see about the schedule for planting bulbs, fertilizing, and other prep work. Keep your lawn free of leaves so your grass isn’t covered and deprived of winter sun.

If you have a sprinkler system you need to be sure it is winterized. There are several above-ground components for your sprinkler system that can freeze when there temperatures drop. A busted valve can be quite expensive to replace, so be sure you have adequate insulation around all the components that sit above ground.

Start on maintenance chores before the weather gets too cold. You won’t want to venture out to fix things when it’s freezing outside.