Fall Home Maintenance: Preparing Your Home for Cooler Weather

With winter on the horizon, now is the perfect time to perform fall home maintenance. You should take care of your roof before the cooler wet season arrives and make sure your windows are going to keep your heat on the inside of your house where it belongs. You also need to get your yard ready for the months of cooler weather ahead. Prepare your sprinklers, clean and repair your gutters, and take care of these additional fall home maintenance tasks before the cold weather hits. Having a home inspector perform an Annual Home Maintenance Inspection before you begin is smart as it may reveal other issues to address before winter.

You’ve got quite a bit to do to prepare your home before taking your sweaters and warm winter coats out of storage, and cleaning up should be at the top of your list during the fall season. For this reason, we’ve written up a list of fall home maintenance chores that you’ll want to take care of to get your house and lawn ready before the temperature drops:

Cleaning Up During the Fall

• Rake the Leaves—Rake or mulch your leaves so that they don’t completely cover up your yard. If they do, they’ll smother the grass you’ve been working so hard to perfect during the summer months.
• Fertilize Your Lawn—Even though you’re not mowing your lawn every week, this is not the time to forget about it. Fertilize your lawn now in preparation for the sunnier weather to come.
• Aerate Your Lawn—Aerating your lawn will allow fertilizer, air, and water to penetrate the soil. This will keep your lawn healthy even when it’s cold outside.
• Winterize Your Sprinkler System—If there’s water remaining in your sprinkler system or pipes, it could freeze and cause cracks. This could ruin the entire system. This task doesn’t cost much and could save you more than $1000 in replacement costs.
• Clean Out Your Gutters—Even if the leaves haven’t started falling, it’s still time to prepare. If your gutters are full of leaves and other debris, they will retain water which can cause your entire gutter system to collapse. When this happens, your gutter system could even pull down parts of your roof along with it.

Preparing for the Cold Weather

• Install Weatherstripping—The expense of performing this task will be returned to you via the money you’ll save on your energy bill. Cover the gaps around your doors and windows with weatherstripping so that the heat stays inside your home and doesn’t escape through any uncovered spaces.
• Caulk Your Windows—You can also help keep heat from escaping by caulking around your windows.
• Get a Roof Inspection—Your roof is critical when it comes to defending the rest of your home against the wintery weather, but is it in need of repair or replacement? Hire a home inspector to inspect your roof system and discover whether you have any damage that could lead to serious trouble during the cold and wet months ahead.
• Get Your Furnace Tuned Up— It’s time to change out your furnace filter and schedule a furnace repair person to take a look at your furnace. They’ll be able to identify any potential problems and make sure your unit is in great working condition.

 

PRIME Home Inspections serves the greater Olympia, Tacoma, Yelm, Centralia, and Western Washington areas with friendly, professional home inspections. A standard inspection covers most visible and accessible components of the home including your roof, chimney, insulation, and HVAC system. Contact us for an inspection before beginning your fall home maintenance tasks so you’re informed about the condition of your home!