Fall Home Maintenance
Happy Fall, y'all! You’ve felt the change in the air, spotted some leaves that have donned their autumn colors, and perhaps caught the scent of smoke coming from a neighbor’s chimney. Now is the time for homeowners to put away the mower and get the snowblower and plow ready to tackle the coming snow. This checklist of fall home maintenance tasks, provided by Barbara Winfield on Bobvila.com, is a full rundown of the chores that should be on your to-do list.
- Exterior Maintenance
- Check the foundation for cracks.
- Install storm windows and doors and remove screens.
- Make sure the roof is in good shape.
- Clean out the gutters and downspouts after the leaves have fallen.
- Weather-strip your garage door.
- Inspect your driveway.
- Interior Maintenance
- Apply weather stripping and caulk to close air leaks around windows and doors.
- Have your heating system checked by a licensed heating contractor.
- Get your wood stove or fireplace in working order
- Change the direction of your ceiling fan to create an upward draft to redistribute warm air from the ceiling.
- Test and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.
- Check basement windows for drafts, loose frames, and cracked panes.
- Vacuum internal parts of air conditioners
- Clean humidifiers regularly throughout the heating season.
- Lawn and Garden Maintenance
- Organize your garage.
- Clear leaves from the lawn, reseed patchy areas, and plant spring flowering bulbs.
- Prepare yard equipment for storage.
- Check all snow equipment to be sure it is up and running.
- Drain garden hoses and store them inside.
- Inspect and fill bird feeders.
- Fertilize the lawn.
- Porch and Deck Maintenance
- Check the supports, stairs, and railings on porches and decks.
- Clean porch and deck furniture.
- Make sure all soil is emptied from pots and planters.
For more details, read the full article at www.bobvila.com/articles/1499-fall-home-maintenance-checklist
