Fall is fast approaching. As the days become cold and the leaves start to fall, it’s a good idea to tackle your home maintenance. This is because dry weather and moderate temperature are generally favorable for house cleaning, maintenance, and repair. Plus, fall is the perfect season to prepare your house for winter.
As your house is your biggest investment, home maintenance becomes extremely important. When it comes to this, you have the option to either perform it yourself or hire some professionals. While you’re at it, be sure to inspect both the interior and exterior of your house.
Here are the areas and systems you need to clean and maintain in fall:
1. Maintain your heating system
As the days start to cool in fall, your heating system will have to run consistently. This is to keep you and your family comfortable during the cold season. Therefore, you must prepare your furnace in fall and set it ready for winter. Below are some home maintenance steps to take for your heating system:
- Have your furnace serviced. Be sure to have it cleaned and maintained for energy efficiency. Plus, inspect for potential problems and get them fixed right away.
- Don’t forget to inspect and clean your fireplace as well as your chimney.
- Be sure to install or check smoke detectors at home and replace their batteries.
2. Check and repair your plumbing system
The plumbing system works harder during the cold months. As much as possible, you want to ensure your family has a consistent water supply and no issue with wastewater disposal. So as early as fall, you must prepare the plumbing system for winter. Here are some home maintenance steps to take for your plumbing system:
- Pay attention to your boilers to ensure your family gets warm water. Be sure to contact a plumber for its annual checkup.
- Have your plumbing pipelines, fixtures, fittings, and appliances inspected, maintained, and fixed if necessary.
- Be wary of plumbing issues such as a toilet that backs up, clogged drains, and water leaks.
- Don’t forget to drain and winterize your exterior plumbing.
3. Inspect, clean, and repair your roofing system
Apart from your heating and plumbing systems, you must not neglect your roofing system. Keep in mind that leaves and twigs start to fall in autumn. They will hit your roof and settle in your gutters. Also, pests such as birds and rodents will begin to inhabit these parts of your house before winter comes. That’s why you must either clean your roofing system yourself or hire a roof cleaner. With that in mind, here’s how to take care of your roofing system in fall:
- Apart from cleaning, thoroughly examine your roof. Be on the lookout for potential damage such as holed, loose, displaced, or missing shingles.
- As soon as you notice some roofing issues, get them fixed before the cold winter months. You don’t want to encounter water leaks in winter.
- Check your gutters and downspouts to ensure they’re in tip-top shape and working condition.
4. Check your doors and windows
Windows and doors are crucial in fall and winter as they are your entry points. As such, they determine the comfort levels of your home. That’s why you must ensure they don’t allow drafts to get into your house. Below are some key steps you can take:
- Examine all your doors and windows to check for potential entry points for drafts.
- Seal any crack or hole in your doors and windows through caulking or weather-stripping.
- Don’t forget to clean your window and door screens.
- Replace your old and outdated windows with energy-efficient ones.
- Check and repair door handles and locks.
5. Take care of your lawn
When it comes to home maintenance, you must not neglect your lawn as well. It does not only enhance your property’s curb appeal but also boosts your home value. Also, it’s important to take care of your lawn in fall so that it won’t be severely beaten in winter. Here’s how to take good care of your lawn:
- Consider planting plants and shrubs in your garden in early fall.
- Be sure to rake leaves and keep your lawn properly maintained.
- Don’t forget to aerate your lawn as it might get stuck in winter.
- Hire lawn care services for lawn mowing, weed control, pest control, and proper irrigation.
At this point, you now know how to take care of your house in fall. Consider your heating system, plumbing, roof, doors, windows, and lawn for your home maintenance. While performing the house maintenance yourself is plausible, leaving it to the experts for inspection, cleaning, and even repair can make a world of difference. After all, taking care of your house is tantamount to taking care of your life’s biggest investment.
