Homeownership comes with a lot of responsibility. This includes prepping your home for the fall/winter months ahead. If you need help coming up with tasks to start working on, here’s a list to get you started.
Clean out Gutters
Cleaning out your gutters is a great first step in prepping your home for fall and winter. Your gutters are essential for keeping the exterior of your home intact. They divert large amounts of water away from your home and help keep water from getting in. Failure to clean out your gutters can lead to rotting exterior. Additionally, clogged gutters help water pool around your home and leak into your basement. This task is a must!
Inspect your Roof
The last thing you want during the upcoming cold, rainy/snowy season is to find out you have a leak in your roof. To avoid this potential hassle, make sure you inspect your roof before the weather gets nasty. This will ensure your home stays warm and dry during the upcoming months. Remember, water intrusion wreaks havoc on homes. Making sure your roof is secure will help prevent any additional, expensive damage from happening to the interior of your home.
Replace Filters
Replacing your furnace filters is another item that you should get done at the end of summer. An article written by Jessica Bennett for bhg.com explains, “Furnace filters trap dust that would otherwise be distributed throughout your home. Clogged filters make it harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, thus increasing your utility bills. Simple monthly cleaning is all it takes to keep these filters free of debris. Disposable filters can be vacuumed once before replacement. Foam filters can also be vacuumed, but they don’t need to be replaced unless they are damaged. Use a soft brush on a vacuum cleaner. If the filter is metal or electrostatic, remove and wash it with a firm water spray.”
Check your Heating Source
Before it starts getting cold, verify that your heating source is in good working order. If you have a furnace, make sure it’s working properly. Run it briefly to ensure it’s not making any weird noises. Make sure the belts are running smoothly and that your system is working at capacity. If you feel like it’s not putting out as much heat as it once was, get it serviced immediately.
If you have a fireplace as a heating source in your home, there is some prep work you need to do for that as well. Make sure your flue is clear of any blockages or creosote (a flammable by-product of burning wood). Get your fireplace serviced annually so you will have peace of mind as you heat your home this fall/winter.
While homeownership comes with a lot of responsibility, it feels good to know that you’re doing all you can to keep your home as nice as possible. Take pride in your hard work as you prep for fall/winter!
