Hot summer days have transitioned to cool fall nights. Now is the perfect time to take care of a bit of home maintenance to prep your home before sweater weather catches you by surprise.
Clean Your Gutters – Cleaning gutters to remove leaves, sticks, and debris should be a top priority on your fall checklist. Clogged gutters can lead to a host of problems and costly inconveniences. Cleaning your gutters will help prevent water damage, protect your roof and keep pests from causing trouble.
Check for Drafts – Heat loss through windows and doors is responsible for 25-30 percent of heating energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Weatherstripping is a simple and cost-effective way to keep heating costs down.
Drain Outdoor Faucets – One of the biggest problems you can encounter in the winter is your pipes freezing. Water freezing in your pipes can lead to bursting, which could be a financial and home-repair nightmare. Turn off your water supply valve and disconnect any hoses. Turn the faucet on until the water stops and twist the tap tightly off.
Change Air Filters –Air filter replacement is crucial to your home’s comfort and HVAC system’s efficiency. Clogged filters can also reduce your system’s lifespan and increase maintenance costs down the road. The general rule is to replace air filters every other month.
Replace Batteries – The little things in our homes can be the easiest to forget. Unfortunately, they can also be the most important. That’s the case when it comes to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. While you should check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home once a month, you should replace batteries once a year to be safe (unless it’s a 10-year battery smoke alarm).