With the start of fall just around the corner, there's plenty to get done around the house. Whether it's cleaning up the last bits of summer fun or making sure the utilities are ready for the winter months, it can be a chore just trying to keep track of everything that needs to be taken care of. Here's a list of ten tasks to get done in the fall season to make sure your home is ready for the back half of the year!
1. Clean the Gutters
When getting ready for fall, cleaning your gutters is essential to home maintenance. When you don’t clean your gutters they can clog causing damage to exterior surfaces and water in your basement. When your gutters are clogged they are also more prone to getting rusted and corroding. If you are unable to clean your gutters yourself many companies in the Fairfield County area can come and clean them for you such as Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning, Fairfield Gutter Cleaning, and Spotless Gutter Cleaning and Repair, just to name a few.
2. Winterize Exterior Faucets
One of the most important ways you can start to get your home ready for the fall and winter is to winterize your faucets. Winterizing faucets helps protect plumbing from freezing temperatures that can lead to your pipes bursting. Some ways you can do this are by turning off the water supply to your outside faucets, Installing faucet covers to prevent freezing, Insulating any exposed pipes, and disconnecting and draining any hoses or attachments.
3. Prep Your Lawn
Lawn maintenance is very important all year round but especially in the fall and when winter is just around the corner/ One of the best ways you can prep your lawn is by fertilizing it. By fertilizing your lawn you will strengthen the grass roots and this will be very beneficial when spring comes. Another way to prep your lawn is to make sure you aerate it. By aerating your lawn you are going to help the root system of your lawn, and by doing this it will help resist insects, heat, and drought.
4. Clean and Repair Driveway
Cleaning and repairing your driveway is a common task and it is very important during the fall months. One of the first things you should do is sweep or leaf blow the driveway to get rid of leaves and debris. Remove shrubs and or trees near the driveway. This is preventative because the roots can get underneath your driveway and cause parts of it to lift or sag. Another great way to prep your driveway is to apply sealant on your driveway and the fall is a great time to do this because the weather is more moderate during some of the other seasons.
5. Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Checking your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is another great way to prep for the fall. Checking these detectors is something that should be done regularly throughout the year. Making sure your detectors are checked is very important because it can help save your life from a deadly incident such as a fire or carbon monoxide leak.
6. Check Your Water Heater
Checking on your water heater is very important, especially in the fall. As the weather and temperature get colder, you will rely more and more on your water heater for things such as showers and baths. More people will be home in the fall and winter for the holidays so your water heater will be used more frequently than it would be during the rest of the year.
7. Test HVAC Systems
Testing your HVAC systems is crucial and should be done regularly. By making sure that your HVAC system is well maintained you will be less likely to have a carbon monoxide leak or any sort of odorless gas that could be deemed toxic. Checking your HVAC system in the fall can help prevent it from breaking down during a winter storm which could leave you without any heat.
8. Cut Your Grass Short
Cutting the grass short is very important in the fall for a few key reasons. The biggest reason is that if your grass is too long when winter comes it can bend over in the snow, which would enable an environment for snow to create mold and winter fungal disease which can kill your grass. Another reason to cut your grass short would be to keep the leaves off your lawn. In the winter when the leaves fall, they will slide off your short grass but if you have long grass the leaves would get stuck to the lawn creating more work for yourself.
9. Seal Air Leaks
Sealing air leaks is one thing to check off your fall to-do list that can improve your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Sealing air leaks in your home can help you prevent things like dust pollen, and other outdoor contaminants from coming into your home and ruining the air quality. Sealing leaks in places like your attic can help prevent the formation of any dangerous ice dams that may occur in the winter.
10. Inspect Your Roof
Inspecting your roof is one of the most important things you should do when fall comes around. When you inspect your roof in the fall you can prevent any leaks that might happen in the winter when snow and ice can accumulate. A roof inspection will allow you to catch a minor problem before it can turn into something serious.
