As summer heat fades into crisp autumn weather, it’s time to address those fall maintenance issues before the first snow hits. Taking care of these small maintenance issues now can save you time, money and a lot of headaches down the road. This handy checklist can help ensure you do a thorough job in your fall home maintenance.
Exterior
- Inspect and clear your gutters and drain spouts. Leaving them clogged can cause rainfall to back up onto your roof and cause rot and other water damage.
- Inspect the driveway and walkways for cracks and gouges. Refinish asphalt driveways with sealer in an afternoon and fix cement cracks with filler.
- Check for loose decking boards, wobbly railings and raised fasteners, and eliminate any of these trip hazards before cold weather brings icy pathways.
- Look for loose paint. Autumn is the best time to repaint, whether you are just refinishing a small section or redoing the whole house.
- Insulate externally exposed water pipes and turn off external faucets. If you use an external sprinkler system, drain it and make sure it’s off.
- Check trim around doors and windows for damage, refill gaps with caulking and replace any rotting wood.
- Inspect your roof and replace any loose or damaged shingles, clean off any moss or other debris, and verify all flashings around skylights, chimneys and pipes are still in place and in good working order.
- Screen in any vents that could allow outside critters access to your home.
Interior
- Switch your ceiling fans to draw air up. This will push warm air back down and circulate it through the home for better energy efficiency, saving you money on your utilities and creating a more comfortable environment during the colder months.
- Have your wood-burning fireplace cleaned and inspected to prevent creosote buildup and chimney fires.
- Replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
- If you leave window AC units installed year-round, get winterizing shields to help reduce air leaks around the units.
- Winterize your HVAC unit — replace or clean filters, have a maintenance check, seal any A/C vents and ensure minor repairs are managed.
- If you use a hot water heater, drain it, check the pressure and bleed the radiators.
- Have gas heaters and furnaces inspected and any necessary maintenance performed before the coldest weather kicks in.
Don’t wait until winter storms hit to make sure that your home is in good, working order. A little effort now can prevent a major hassle in the midst of a mid-January snowstorm. To ease the burden and ensure everything is properly maintained, consider hiring skilled professionals to handle inspection and maintenance of key areas, like your HVAC system. Central Ohio families have been relying on Buckeye Heating & Cooling to handle all heating and cooling needs for over half a century. Contact us soon to schedule a visit and get a head start on your autumn to-do list!
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