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When the season changes, it’s time to prepare your home for falling leaves, cooler weather, and ultimately winter storms. It is October already! Here’s what you need to do to be ready for Fall. By doing some fall homework now, you can avoid problems later in the season and enjoy everything you love this fall with confidence.
Most of the tasks listed below are within the scope of the average homeowner, but even if you prefer to hire a professional, it can be worth the effort. while avoiding costly (and potentially dangerous) damage to your home.
Follow this fall maintenance checklist
Learn important tips for cleaning gutters, roofs, chimneys, and be ready for fall:
- Clean or replace your gutters: We’re so used to our gutters working properly, draining thousands of gallons of water from our roofs every year, that we forget they could use a little love. When clogged, you can have a flooded interior and a damaged exterior, so clean them up and replace them if necessary (Amazon Home Services does this for $ 116).
- Check for drafts: According to the USD Department of Energy, heat loss through windows is responsible for 25-30 percent of heating energy consumption. But it doesn’t have to be, because waterproofing is easy and probably the cheapest way to keep heating costs down. To check for a draft problem, close a door or window on a strip of paper. If the paper slips off easily, you need to update your weatherstrip.
- Drain your external taps: tell me now: “I will close all external taps before winter!” Drain and disconnect all garden hoses from outside taps to prevent the water from freezing. Otherwise, the pipes may explode, so yes, do it.
- Bring your garden furniture inside: Yes, your furniture is garden furniture. No, that doesn’t mean you have to test the day out by leaving it outside in hurricane-like weather and blizzards. It will cost you money and time to set up this outdoor space. So if you want to take advantage of another summer season, consider storing it in a garage or shed. If you have nowhere to stow your things, you should cover them with a waterproof furniture cover, which you can grab from Amazon for 36 US dollars.
- Repair cracks in your driveway: We know this seems a chore and is one of those things that makes you say, “Hey, this will be fine!” But it can very easily be wrong: when water gets into the cracks, it freezes, expands, and can make the crack even bigger. You probably prefer a driveway without a huge pothole. So use a concrete crack sealer, fill it up, and finish it off. You can try this cement crack filler.
- Change your filters: One More Thing In Your Home That Could Cost You More Than It Should Be. When your filters are clogged, it becomes more difficult to keep your home at the desired temperature, which increases your heating bills. these filters monthly, not just before autumn, and thank me later. For your information: Disposable filters can be vacuumed once before being replaced, foam filters can be vacuumed and not replaced.
- Fertilize your lawn: If you want your lawn to look great in the spring and summer, you need to prepare it for the fall and winter; the roots are still active when the grass isn’t growing. As a result, your lawn will also turn green faster in spring, which is crucial, because who would want to look at a sad lawn when it is beautiful?
- Check your winter equipment: Hi, I’m from the future where your snowplow won’t work and you’re stuck inside and can’t get your car out to buy a new one. make your life easier later.
- Change your batteries: Once a year you should check the function of all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide devices. Since you are already testing everything else, you can add this too.
What about you? Do you have more tips for getting ready for fall? Let us know in the comments below?
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