As the leaves begin to change, it’s time to prepare your home for cooler weather. Keep your family safe and cozy during the winter months. Here are a few important fall home maintenance tasks to help you care for your property.
Lawn Care
Get the yard ready for winter while the weather is still nice. This is an important part of fall home maintenance because overgrown trees and shrubs could be hazardous to your home when combined with severe weather, like strong winds and ice. To prepare your lawn, here are a few essential tasks.
- Mow the lawn.
- Remove dead and damaged branches from trees.
- Trim shrubs and bushes.
- Bring potted plants indoors.
- Rake and compost fallen leaves.
Gutter Maintenance in the Fall
Clogged gutters lead to the accumulation of rain, ice, and snow, which can damage roofing materials. Cleaning and repairing gutters is much cheaper than repairing a roof, so taking care of this important task could end up saving you thousands of dollars.
Clean gutters yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. Install gutter guards to keep leaves and debris out, which will make this home maintenance job easier in the future.
Repair Gaps and Cracks
Cracks in the foundation or damage to the siding allow cold air to enter your home and increase your heating costs. Those cracks and gaps may worsen in severe weather making them more costly to repair in the spring. Taking care of minor repairs now will prevent major problems later.
Patching cracks also keeps pests out of your home. As the weather cools, bugs and rodents will seek warm areas for shelter. Sealing up gaps will prevent them from spending winter in your home.
Fall Home Maintenance: Exterior Faucets
Water can freeze in exterior pipes and damage your plumbing. To keep this from happening, shut off the valve to exterior faucets and completely drain the tap. You’ll also want to drain the garden hose and bring it inside to store for the winter.
Gather Fall Home Maintenance Supplies
To be ready for cooler weather, gather supplies that you’ll need to keep your home functioning properly during the fall and winter. Building a fall home maintenance supply kit will ensure you’re prepared for lower temperatures. Some items to include are:
- rake
- snow shovel or snow-blower
- ice scraper
- ice melt products
- wood for the fireplaces
- chimney cleaning tools
- batteries for carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
- insulation kits for drafty windows
- draft blockers for doors
Getting your home ready for fall is easy with these fall maintenance tips. When you complete these tasks during the fall, you can stay cozy inside where it’s warm and comfortable during colder weather.
East Carolina Inspections offers home inspections to customers throughout the eastern part of North Carolina. Contact us to request our services.