7 Easy Fall Home Maintenance Tasks
As the vibrant colors of summer start to fade, and the air takes on a crisp chill, it’s the ideal time to start on some essential home fall maintenance tasks. Fall is a season of transition, where we say goodbye to the sweltering heat and welcome the cozy embrace of cooler days. However, with this shift comes a set of requirements and challenges for homeowners to tackle in order to keep their homes in working order. To ensure your humble abode remains toasty and snug during the upcoming months, it’s important to check some simple yet impactful tasks off your fall maintenance checklist. These not only protect your investment but also save you from the headaches of costly repairs that can be triggered by neglect. To learn more about seven straightforward tasks that will prepare your home for fall, continue reading.
- Weather Stripping and Window Caulking
One of the easiest ways to save energy and money in the fall and winter is to prevent cold air from entering your home through gaps and cracks around your windows. You can do this by updating the weather stripping and caulking around the interiors of your windows. Weather stripping is a material that seals the edges of windows and doors, while caulking is a sealant that fills in small gaps and cracks. You can find both at your local hardware store and apply them yourself with some basic tools. This will help you keep your home warm and cozy without cranking up the thermostat. - Outdoor Faucets Maintenance
Another simple task that can save you a lot of trouble this fall is to turn off and drain your outdoor faucets before the freezing temperatures arrive. If you leave water in your pipes for winter, it can freeze and expand, causing them to burst and leak. This can lead to water damage, mold, and expensive repairs. To avoid this, you should turn off the water supply to your outdoor faucets, open them to let the water drain out, and disconnect any hoses or attachments. You can also cover them with insulated foam covers to protect them from the cold. - Driveway and Sidewalk Repairs
Your driveway and sidewalk are also vulnerable to freezing and thawing cycles in the fall and winter. If you have any small concrete cracks in these surfaces, water can seep into them and freeze, making them wider and deeper. This can cause unevenness, tripping hazards, and structural damage. To prevent this, you should fill any small concrete cracks with a concrete crack filler or sealant. You can find these products at your local hardware store or online and can easily apply them yourself with a caulking gun or a putty knife. While a bit tedious, this task will help you maintain a smooth and safe driveway and sidewalk. - HVAC and Furnace Filter Replacements
Your heating system is essential for keeping your home comfortable in the colder months, but it also needs some maintenance to work efficiently and safely. One of the most important, and easiest, things you can do to extend the life of your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) or furnace, is to change the filters regularly. These filters trap dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander, and other contaminants that can affect your indoor air quality and your health. They also protect your heating system from clogging and overheating, something that crucial once the temperature drops. You should change your HVAC filter every three or four months, depending on how often you use it, and your furnace filter every three months or as recommended by the manufacturer. - Check Smoke and Carbon-Monoxide Alarms
Another crucial task for your home safety in the fall and winter is to check and change the batteries in your fire and carbon-monoxide alarms. Fire and CO2 alarms can save your life and your property if they work properly, but they need batteries in order to do that. You should check both types of alarms once a month by pressing the test button on each unit. If you hear a beep, it means the battery is good. If you hear a chirp or nothing at all, it means the battery is low or dead and needs to be replaced. You should also change batteries in all your fire and CO2 alarms twice a year, preferably when you change your clocks for daylight saving time. - Lawn Care and Garden Preparation
If you have a lawn or a garden to worry about, you should also prepare them for dormancy. One of the things you can do is to add fertilizer to your lawn in the fall, after your final mow of the year. Fertilizer is a substance that provides nutrients to plants and helps them grow healthy and strong. By adding fertilizer to your lawn in the fall, you can help it recover from the summer stress, resist weeds and diseases, and store energy for the spring growth. You should choose a fertilizer that is suitable for your grass type and soil condition, and follow the instructions on how much and how often to apply it.
Another thing you can do is to remove bulbs for next spring from your garden beds. Bulbs are plants that grow from underground storage organs that contain nutrients and water. Some bulbs are hardy enough to survive the winter in the ground, such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and so on but others are tender and need to be dug up before the frost kills them, such as dahlias, gladioli and cannas. You should identify which bulbs you have in your garden and remove the tender ones before the first frost. You can store them in a cool, dry, and dark place until the spring, when you can replant them. - Storing Outdoor Furniture and Décor
The last easy task you can do to prepare your home for fall is to bring your outdoor furniture and decor in for the season. Your patio chairs, tables, cushions, umbrellas, planters, lanterns, etc., can get damaged by the rain, snow, wind, and cold if you leave them outside. They can also attract pests and mold that can harm your health and your home. To protect them, you should clean them thoroughly and store them in a dry and sheltered place, such as your garage, basement, shed, or attic. This will help you preserve their quality and appearance for the next season.
Leave It to The Professionals
Some tasks are better left to the professionals, especially if they involve working at heights, using specialized equipment, or dealing with potential hazards. Have the professionals handle the following tasks to make your life easier and your fall preparations that much easier:
- Gutter and Dryer Vent Cleaning: These systems are vital for drainage and fire prevention but can clog over time, leading to issues like water damage, ice dams, mold, and fire risks. Experts can safely clean both your gutters and dryer vent at least once a year, preferably in the fall.
- Wood Exteriors Sealing: Your wood exteriors, like siding, decks, and fences, add value but can deteriorate from weather and pests. Professionals can seal them every few years to protect against moisture, UV rays, pests, and stains.
- Chimney Inspection: Vital for venting smoke, chimneys can develop issues like creosote buildup, animal nests, cracks, or leaks. To maintain safety and performance, have professionals inspect and clean your chimney at least once a year.
Need a reliable and trusted professional cleaning service to help you out this fall? At Snugs Services, we can help you check everything off your fall home maintenance with ease! Our dedicated and highly trained team have been assisting homeowners, property managers and commercial companies with fall cleaning services for years. With our custom equipment, specialty techniques and dedication to client satisfaction, there isn’t a better choice for getting those tough cleaning jobs taken care of in the Pacific Northwest! Give Snugs Services a call today to book the services you need to keep your property in proper working condition this fall.
Snugs Pro Wash, Inc, dba SNUGS Services, has been providing high quality Pressure Washing Services in Portland, OR since 1995. Started as a residential pressure washing and roof cleaning service, SNUGS is now one of the leading exterior cleaning companies in the Northwest. From our humble beginnings as a man with a truck and a trailer we have grown to become a multi-million dollar company serving corporate customers, name brands, and mom and pop companies alike.