It would be fantastic if all you needed to focus on to prepare your home for fall were to decorate it for the holidays, but there are a number of essential tasks to prepare your home for fall properly. As the season transitions from sunny days to freezing cold nights, it’s important to tackle some home maintenance jobs to get your home ready and avoid costly repairs later on down the line.
Look Over Your Roof and Clean Out Gutters
Few homeowner problems are worse than a leaky roof. Once the dripping starts, finding the source of the problem can be time-consuming, so use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground and look for any warning signs of disrepair. Missing or damaged shingles and rust spots on flashing are signs your roof needs some fixing. If wet leaves are collecting together, you’ll need to remove them to avoid pooling wet spots. Look in your gutters for large accumulations of granules, a sign that your roof is losing its coating, which can indicate more extensive problems.
Snow, ice storms, and freezing Toronto temperatures can wreak havoc on your roof. Contact a Professional Roofers to make the proper repairs before winter sets in if you spot signs of damage.
After the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk to avoid ice dams, which can lead to expensive repairs. Make sure gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water; tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets. Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts, and ensure downspouts extend at least five feet away from your house to prevent foundation problems.
Seal Air Leaks
Take a walk around your home’s exterior, and use exterior caulk to seal up cracks between trim and siding, around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires enter your house. Preventing moisture from getting inside your walls is one of the most important and least expensive fall maintenance jobs. You’ll also seal air leaks that waste energy and make your home much more comfortable and cozy to spend the winter in.
Check Your Furnace
Don’t wait until the freezing temperatures hit to schedule an appointment with a heating and cooling professional. Get your heating system checked and tuned up for the coming heating season. Also, be sure to change your furnace filters, which you should be doing every two months.
Blow Out Your Sprinkler System
You can hire an irrigation company every year to blow out your sprinkler system, or you can do it yourself using an air compressor. You will have to blow it out zone by zone, as home compressors aren’t powerful enough to blow out the entire system at once. Ensure you don’t leave any water in the line, or it might freeze over the winter and burst a pipe.
Make sure your home is in shape and ready for the cooler months ahead. Setting aside some time this fall to complete these simple tasks ensures that you can rest easy, knowing you’re prepared.