Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall is the perfect time to prepare for the cold dark days ahead.  Follow these simple steps to prepare for the long winter ahead 

Stock up on winter supplies.

• Check the condition of snow shovels and ice scrapers; replace as needed.
• Pick up a bag of pet- and plant-safe ice melt, if needed.
• Restock emergency kits for the car and home.
• If you use a snow blower, have it serviced and purchase fuel.
• Shut off exterior faucets and store hoses. Protect your pipes from freezing temperatures by shutting off water to exterior faucets before the weather dips below freezing. Drain hoses and store them indoors.

Outside
 

Check outdoor walkways, railings, stairs and the driveway for winter safety. When the landscape is covered in ice and snow, just walking from the driveway to the front door can be a challenge. Make for easier shovelling by checking the driveway is in good repair.

Test outdoor lights and replace bulbs as needed. As the days get shorter, we rely more on exterior lighting, both for safety and ambiance. Test lights on the front and back porch, on the garage and in the landscape, and replace bulbs as needed.

Inside

Check safety devices.

• Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; replace batteries as needed.
• Check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and replace if needed.
• If you haven’t checked your home for radon, fall is a good time to do so — as the weather gets cooler and windows stay shut more often, radon is more likely to become trapped in your  home.
• Radon at high enough levels is extremely harmful, so if you find that your home has radon hire a contractor qualified to fix radon issues. Read more about Radon here.

Vacuum radiators, baseboard heaters and grates. Get ready for heating season by clearing away dust and grime from radiators, baseboard heaters and heating grates. If your radiators have removable covers, take them off and vacuum beneath the cover before replacing them.

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 in window A/C units, cover the exterior of the unit with an insulating wrap to keep cold air out.

 
Tackle These To-Dos Over a Weekend

Outside

Rake leaves. Leaves look beautiful, blanketing the ground, but leaving too many leaves on a lawn over winter in a snowy area can inhibit spring growth. To make the job easier, choose a lightweight rake, wear gloves to protect your hands and use handheld “leaf scoops” to bag leaves quickly.

Seal gaps where critters could enter. Mice need only a tiny gap to be able to sneak into your house and raid your pantry. And with colder weather coming, all of the little critters out there will be looking for warm places to make a home. Fill small holes and securely cover any larger gaps with heavy-duty hardware cloth to keep wildlife outdoors.

Care for trees and shrubs. If you have trees on your property, consider hiring an arborist to care for them. These pros can spot early signs of poor health to prevent tree loss. And they know how to prune properly to avoid falling limbs in winter storms. Because trees are slowing growth in the fall, it’s not an ideal time to plant a new tree, as the roots may have trouble getting established. It’s also a good idea to observe your trees throughout the fall, keeping an eye out for signs that may require intervention.

Inside

Deep-clean the kitchen. Take a day to tackle some of the more labour-intensive cleaning tasks, and keep your kitchen working efficiently and looking great:

• Degrease the range hood and filter.
• Clean the oven.
• Vacuum the refrigerator coils.
• Scrub tile grout.
• Clean light fixtures.
• Wash the walls and backsplash.
• Wash the garbage can and recycling bins.
• Clean small appliances.

Add weatherstripping. Weatherstripping applied around the frames of windows and doors helps boost winter warmth and cut energy costs. Add door sweeps to the base of drafty doors to keep heat in and cold air out.

Clean dryer vents. Lint buildup in dryer vents can make your dryer work less efficiently and even cause a fire — cool, dry fall weather increases static electricity, which can ignite lint that has built up, so now is a key time to get that lint out. You can hire a duct cleaning specialist to clean the vents for you (recommended), or clean the vent yourself.

If you decide to do it yourself:

1. Unplug your dryer.
2. Shut off the gas if you have a gas dryer
3. Pull the dryer slightly away from the wall
4. Loosen the clamp holding the hose
5. Use a vacuum attachment or lint brush made for dryer hoses to clean out the hose and behind the dryer
6. Replace the hose, gently move the dryer to the wall (do not crush the hose) and plug it in.

 
Maintenance and Extras to Budget for This Month

Make exterior repairs. Take a walk around your property, looking for signs of damage to the roof, siding and foundation. If you spot anything that needs repair, schedule it before winter weather hits.

Clean gutters and downspouts. Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts (hire a helper if you are not comfortable on a ladder). Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.

Conduct an energy audit. A trained auditor can assess your home’s current energy efficiency and give you a list of recommended improvements you can make, which may include upgrading to Energy Star appliances, adding insulation to the attic or beefing up weatherstripping. You can book a home Energy Assessment audit at Efficiency Nova Scotia

Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained, and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!

Your home is probably your biggest investment. Take care of it well, and it will take care of you!

If you want to learn more about Energy Efficiency and Savings, you can check out our The Ultimate Guide to Energy Efficiency and BIG Savings 

Sources: Houzz https://www.houzz.com/magazine/your-fall-home-maintenance-checklist-stsetivw-vs~53860402?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u44928&utm_medium=email&utm_content=tcs.lc&newsletterId=44928