The temperature is beginning to drop and that means fall is around the corner. While some parts of pop culture are rushing the transition with their pumpkin flavored coffees and scented candles, there are still some warm weather days ahead to use to your advantage. This transition between seasons is the perfect time to complete home exterior maintenance tips for fall to make sure your home is looking and feeling great heading into winter.
As you prep for the changing of leaves and changing of seasons, use these home exterior maintenance tips as your checklist.
Prep Your Home’s Exterior for Fall
- Maintain the yard, trees & shrubs. Fall is your last chance to prep your yard for a cold winter ahead, so maintaining its clean, landscaped appearance will be a treat come spring. Properly pruning your trees by removing dead limbs can prevent dangerous or costly accidents when winter weather arrives.
- Keep those leaves raked. Rake those leaves, but only after you’ve jumped into a pile of them. The pretty leaves look great blanketing the ground, but they’re detrimental to new lawn growth in the spring.
- Make note of exterior repairs. Do you have a sidewalk or walkway that needs a little TLC before the winter weather? Now’s the time to make those small repairs before they become hazardous. A jumbled walkway or wobbly stair rail becomes only more dangerous when there’s a thin layer of ice on top.
- Don’t let the bought air out. If your home was leaking cool air in the summer months, you can bet it will do the same in the winter months. Don’t heat the outdoors! Add weatherstripping around doors and windows that can cause air issues. Use caulking to plug up any spaces that may let cold air in, too. If you’re looking to do a full home energy audit, follow the DIY steps from Energy.gov.
- Check for pests. Just because you may not have noticed a rodent issue during the summer doesn’t mean they won’t seek warmth in your home when chilly nights set in. Take a look around your attic, basement and kitchen cupboards just to name a few places.
- Shut off exterior faucets & disconnect hoses. Your exterior faucets and hoses shouldn’t remain at-the-ready when the temperature is hovering around freezing. Prevent frozen pipes and other water line damage by shutting off exterior faucets as well as draining and disconnecting outdoor hoses when you’ve completed your final outdoor watering.
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- Bonus: Fall Plumbing Tips & Tricks
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- Pressure wash the exterior. When’s the last time your home received a good exterior clean? If it’s been awhile, fall is a great time to schedule a professional team to pressure wash the exterior of your home, removing debris and buildup from past seasons.
- Prepare outdoor winter supplies. The worst time to get your bag of ice melt is when the first snow and ice falls. No need to go overboard, but stock up on a reasonable amount of the winter items you used last year so you aren’t scrambling when you need them. This could include ice melt, a shovel, ice scrapers or firewood.
Interior Home Prep for Fall
Preparing your home’s exterior for the harsh impending winter is a good decision for all homeowners. By making the investment in a few resources and time, you’ll notice a clean, reset home that boosts curb appeal during the autumn months and is well-equipped to take on the harsh chill of winter.
Inside your home, the most important things to prep for fall are related to your plumbing and HVAC systems. By properly preparing these systems, you can ensure that your home is operating on maximum efficiency and effectiveness for the shift in gears from air conditioner use to heating.
Read our earlier post for fall plumbing tips and tricks around your home.
Fall Into A Good Autumn Routine
Transition seasons like spring and fall allow us to prepare for the more intense weather conditions that summer and winter bring. If you can establish a good routine for interior and exterior home prep, this will be a weekend task that doesn’t take up much time but saves you headaches in the future.
Your home’s safety and comfort are our top priority — and that goes beyond the HVAC, plumbing and electric systems. When you’re in-between seasons, schedule a service appointment with John C. Flood to have your home comfort systems checked, tuned-up and repaired. By prioritizing your home, you’ll be enjoying all four seasons in comfort. Just call 703-214-5611!
