​Get Your Home Ready for Fall & Winter with these Helpful Maintenance Tips

Now that fall has arrived, it’s time to turn your attention to your home. The changing of the season always acts as a call to action for fine-tuning your home, and the onset of fall is no different. Below, we’ll share with you 10 tips for getting your home ready for cooler weather.

1. Check out your furnace. Nothing is worse than discovering your furnace is out-of-order on that first chilly fall night. Turn it on to make sure it is working, change filters and consider calling a professional to have it cleaned.
2. Clean out humidifiers and change filters. Prepare your humidifier for winter’s dry air by cleaning it and changing the filter to prevent bacteria and mold from polluting your indoor air.
3. Reverse your fan. By switching the direction your ceiling fans, you will push warm air down into your home. While many people overlook this tip when readying their homes for fall, it is an easy way to save on energy bills and keep you more comfortable in your home.
4. Bring in or cover outdoor furniture. The winter weather can cause a lot of wear and tear on patio furniture and grills. If you don’t have indoor space to store your furniture, tightly cover them using waterproof tarp.
5. Rake your leaves. Left on the grass, leaves can deprive your lawn from receiving needed sunlight and wet leaves on the ground can lead to mold growth.
6. Clean your gutters. After summer, you might find a fair amount of debris lodged in your gutters, so make sure to give them a good clean now. Leaves can cause real problems when the temperatures drop, especially if you don’t remove them before the arrival of snow and ice.
7. Trim shrubbery. Prune hedges that have become overgrown. Once shrubbery has been trimmed, be sure to haul away all debris.
8. Turn off hose valves and drain hoses. Shut off the outside water supply from the inside to prevent frozen pipes. Also, drain water out of hoses to prevent them from bursting.
9. Check your roof. It can be miserable to have a roof leak during a snowstorm. Having a licensed professional inspect it before the snow arrives can be a good move and save you considerable headaches later.
10. Look for leaks. Walk the perimeter of your home and survey the basement, keeping an eye out for obvious leaks. Leaks and cracks not only can allow destructive moisture into your home, but also can invite critters inside. Once you’ve found a leak, seal it with weather-resistant caulk.

A fall weekend or two spent preparing your home for the cooler weather will help prevent costly repairs later and keep your home running in good condition all winter.

Source: Long & Foster