Fall is here! This beautiful time of the year brings so many great things like football, fall festivals, and pumpkin spice everything. It also means it is time to start thinking about the colder months that are ahead of us and how to prepare our homes for winter. Here are 5 quick housekeeping tips to make sure your home is prepped!
Change The Clock, Change The Batteries
The time change is always a little brutal, but use it as a reminder! As you change all the clocks in your home, take the time to change out the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, too. You can also use a soft brushed vacuum to clean out any dust that may have accumulated since spring. If your units are older than 10 years, it may be time to replace them!
Inspect Your Roof & Gutters
Checking your roof for minor damage from summer storms is important to help prevent potential issues during the winter months. Look for damaged or missing shingles or bare spots where coating may have worn off. Additionally, remove all debris that has built up in your gutters over the last several months. Making sure your gutters are cleared for proper draining can help against flooded basements and damage to your landscaping.
Check Seals and Apply Weather-Proof Strips
Over time, small cracks and gaps can appear around your home. Checking that these are sealed before winter can help keep the heat in and save you money. You can use caulking or weather stripping to do this. Important places to check are:
- Around door and window frames
- Around heating or cooling units
- Openings around drain pipes in the bathroom and kitchens
- At the corners formed by siding
Lawn Maintenance
Fall is the perfect time to trim back those pesky overgrown branches to spruce up the outside appearance of your home and avoid damage during winter storms. It is also a smart time to fertilize, feeding your lawn the nutrients it needs to continue roots growing over the winter months.
Drain Outdoor Faucets
It is important to “winterize” your outdoor faucets to help prevent them from freezing once the temps really drop and avoid possible pipe bursts. Remove any hose that has been hooked up to an outdoor faucet and store it until next year. Then, turn off the outdoor water supply and let the faucets drain completely. If you have a sprinkler system or a pool, make sure to turn the supply lines to those as well if they are coming from a different source.
