Owning a home comes with a lot of pride, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility, especially if you want it to maintain its livability and beauty throughout the years. To ensure that your property stands the test of time, you’ll want to become familiar with performing seasonal maintenance.
This fall season, there are a few indoor and outdoor projects that won’t take up too much of your time but will prolong the life of your home, and you’ll be thankful you added them to your checklist.
Exterior
There are several tasks that you want to ensure are taken care of before the temperatures start dipping into winter territory. For example, your gutters and roof will need to be inspected. For your gutters, remove any debris, such as fallen leaves or other things that could cause obstructions or lead to water flowing into your foundation instead of away from it. For your roof, ensure that all shingles are in good condition; if not, replace them as needed.
Gaps in windows and doors should be sealed to prevent unwanted airflow. Indoor pipes can also freeze if your outdoor faucets aren’t turned off, so be sure to do that to avoid a significant headache once the temperatures drop below zero.
To keep ice and snow from causing damage to your home, you’ll want to do a little pre-winter landscaping, such as clearing the leaves out of the yard and inspecting walkways and your driveway. Small cracks and damage that seem manageable in the summer can quickly escalate to major issues in the presence of snow and ice.
Interior
Your heating system is crucial during the colder months, so schedule a service to have it inspected. If nothing’s wrong, it’ll be a relief, and if there are issues, you have the time to get them fixed before winter hits.
You’ll also want to replace your HVAC filters to ensure that your system runs efficiently and the air you breathe is as clean as possible. It’s a lot harder to open the windows to let fresh air in when it’s cold out, so keeping the air in the home as breathable as possible is vital.
If you have a fireplace, check that it’s in good working order and clean out the chimney, if necessary. Electronic fireplaces, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and any other modern home electronics should also be tested to ensure they’re in working order.
You don’t want your home to become a haven for wildlife trying to escape the grip of old man winter, so check your garage, basement, and any other areas inside your home that may have holes or gaps allowing access to the outside world. These holes act as doors into your home, and then you’ll have a whole new problem to deal with them, so if you find any, seal them up as best you can to keep animals out.
It may feel as though there’s a lot to do, but once you’ve accomplished everything on the checklist, you’ll feel that peace of mind that only comes when you know your home is going to stay in good condition, regardless of the season, for many years to come.