8 Fall Home Maintenance Items to Tackle Now
The aroma of pumpkin spice fills the air and Central Oregon mornings have a noticeable chill lately. While fall is the perfect time for hayrides and cozy sweaters, it’s also a good time to ensure your home is ready for winter by handling a few home maintenance items. Tackle these tasks to ensure energy efficiency, comfort and safety in addition to minimizing costly repairs come spring.
Check for gaps.
Now that the weather is cooler, check windows and doors for drafty gaps. Apply weather stripping around window frames and doors to help reduce energy costs and keep your home comfortable. Door sweeps at the base of drafty doors will also help keep cool air out and warm air in.
Inspect the exterior of your home. Take a walk around your property and look carefully for signs of damage to the roof, siding or foundation. If you spot anything that needs repair, schedule it before winter weather hits.
Rake leaves and pine needles.
Be sure to rake up those leaves and pine needles so they don’t blanket your lawn or landscaping over winter. Heavy snow on top of dead leaves and needles can inhibit spring growth.
Clean out the gutters.
Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts (hire someone if you are not comfortable on a ladder). Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and can cause damage to your roof or siding. Clogged gutters can also increase your likelihood for ice dams, which can lead to major damage as many Central Oregonians have experienced the last few winters.
Blowout sprinklers.
Protect your pipes from freezing temperatures by having a professional blow out your irrigation system before the weather dips below freezing. Drain hoses and store them indoors.
Remove window A/C units.
If you use window air conditioning units in the summer, remove them before the weather turns cold. If you must leave window A/C units in, cover the entire exterior of the unit with an insulating wrap to keep cold air out.
Clean dryer vents (you knew it was coming, right?).
Cool, dry fall weather increases static electricity, which can ignite lint that has built up in your dryer exhaust system, so now is a key time to get that lint out by a certified professional (Call me to schedule today: 541-588-2399).
Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance.
Before you start using your fireplace or heating system this winter, it’s a wise idea to have your system cleaned, inspected and serviced. Not only can this be an important safety measure, but it reduces the likelihood that you’ll be without heat when you need it most.
If you would like recommendations for help on any of these fall maintenance tasks, feel free to call or shoot me an email. I’m happy to give a referral for the professionals I use and trust.
