Autumn is a great time of year to address maintenance matters and prepare your home for the winter. Winter conditions can be harmful. These fall home maintenance tasks can help reduce damage from winter conditions and improve its safety.

Fall Home Maintenance Tasks

Complete an Exterior Review

The exterior of a house is put through the most harmful conditions over the winter. Inspect the roof for any missing shingles and fix or replace as necessary. Look for gaps in the siding as this may allow in moisture. Clean and fix gutters. Also think about extending downspouts to direct water away from your home. These are some important aspects of your home to inspect and address issues.

Flush Outdoor Pipes

Your property may have several external water pipes such as a sprinkler system and exterior faucets. These must be emptied to prevent them from freezing and damage in cold temperatures. For faucets, turn off the source from the interior and release any water left in the line. If you are not handy with Irrigation systems, you should hire a company to take care of it.

Defend Against Fire and Air Quality Hazards

Because of the use of heating solutions in winter, you raise the chances of fire and CO poisoning. As a precaution, have heating equipment serviced regularly. This includes fuel burning heating units, fireplaces, and wood stoves. Also replace batteries and test smoke and CO detectors. Also, make sure fire extinguishers dates remain good. These are all important safety checks to complete annually.

Minimize Heat Loss

Sealing up your home will reduce your heating costs over the winter. Fill gaps along windows and update door seals where needed. Be sure to also check for openings around pipes.

Additional Ways to Prepare Your Home For The Winter

There are other things to prepare your home for the winter. In addition to addressing necessary repairs, it is helpful to store your equipment and furniture in a safe place shielded from snow and ice. Think about lawn mowers, outdoor furniture, lawn ornaments, potted plants, etc. Any items damaged last year should be brought indoors this year. Take care of those areas now to prevent a problem this year. Lastly, complete a check of your supplies and equipment. Make sure everything is in sufficient working order. Pull out snow shovels and winter clothing. We hope that you find these fall home maintenance tasks useful.