4 for Fall

It’s that time of year again. Fall is here! The season change brings with it changes also in what we eat, wear, and do. Where are my pumpkin spiced latte, sweater wearing, and hayride enthusiasts? I love this time of year!

With the relentless heat and humidity of summer in the rear view, cooler temperatures and chilly mornings are just ahead. Now is the perfect time to prepare your home for the colder months that are coming up.

What does that look like? There are hundreds of things you can do to ready your home for fall, and not all are equally important. Here’s a list of 4 effective tips to get your home autumn-ready as the season changes:

  1. Remember the Barney Song You Used to Sing to Your Toddlers?
    “Clean up…Clean up…” If you’ve seen Barney you know what song I’m talking about. It’s time for you to do your share. Start by walking the outside of your home. Look for anything you’d usually run over on your lawn mower – for example, patio furniture or children’s toys. Pack up it all up and store it in your basement, shed, or garage. You don’t want small items covered in snow or lost in mud once spring hits. You should also unhook and bring in all exterior hoses, and even consider storing your grill indoors, if you don’t want to invest in a heavy-duty winter cover. Cleaning up extends beyond this, though. You should also look at your gutters, roof and other important components of your house. Now is also the time to make minor repairs to walkways or decks and check vents, windows and doors. Cold weather and snow can turn an easy repair in the summer into a headache in the winter.
  1. I Must Protect this House!
    The sports apparel company Under Armour would always end their commercials with “I MUST protect this house!” Meaning that there was no way a visiting team was going to win at the home teams place. The home team was going to do all they could to secure a win and protect their home turf from a loss. So #2 is all about protection. Home protection. While you should always be on the lookout for major repairs, like damaged roofs, walls or windows, now is when you want to search for smaller problems. One issue is poor seals around windows and doors. What you should do is look around for any drafts coming through, and seal up every gap with weatherstripping and caulk. Not only will this keep your family warmer in the winter, but it will also save you money on utility costs. Do the same with other exterior doors, like your bulkhead and garage door. Major gaps here can lead to leaks and even water damage once snow starts and ice begins to melt in the spring.
  1. Have your Home Inspected…I happen to know a Guy I could refer you to.
    The fall is also when you want to have all your heating components inspected. You’ll be relying on them heavily in the winter, and it goes without saying that losing heat in January or February is not something you want to deal with. To avoid that, call me or an industry professional to look over your furnace, boiler, chimney and other heating elements. If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace that sees heavy use, call in the cleaner! That will help everything run more efficiently and keep you warm. Furthermore, inspect your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as well. Your home will be sealed up tight in the winter, so it’s a must that these protections are in working order.
  1. Stock up Now to avoid Future Disappointment.
    Finally, fall is when you want to stock up on any supplies and resources you’ll need to get through the winter. While we obviously have it pretty good compared to our ancestors, you still can benefit from buying ahead in a few key areas. For starters, load up on firewood if you have a wood-burning stove. Also, make sure you’re stacking and storing it properly. You should load up on gasoline, batteries or even a space heater or two, just to be safe – gas if you have a generator or snow blower, batteries for any flashlights, smoke detectors and the like and space heaters just in case your heating system goes.