Your Fall Home Maintenance To-Do List: Is It Done Yet?

When the seasons change and cooler weather approaches, it’s time to consider fall home maintenance. The earlier in the season you get this done, the less rushed you will feel and the more energy you will potentially save.

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

• Check the roof. Before cold rain and snow are forecast, look for any damage that might have occurred during summer. Replace any missing shingles while the weather is still mild.
• Care for the A/C. Shut off the power and remove yard debris from around the outdoor A/C unit. Cover the top with a manufacturer-recommended tarp or weighted plywood board. Clean your indoor A/C unit’s accessible components.
• Clean the gutters. You don’t want to be out in cold winter weather digging debris out of your gutters. Now, and then again periodically this fall, remove leaves from your rain gutters. A leaf blower is an easy way to accomplish this job. This helps prevent ice dams, which can cause significant damage. A more common hazard of clogged gutters is rain water or melted snow flowing down the side of your house and into the foundation.
• Take care of outdoor hoses and faucets. Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets and drain them before storing the hoses indoors. Make sure to get this done before the first hard freeze.
• Seal leaks around doors and windows. Even if you did this step last year, new gaps may have appeared during summer due to the house shifting, wood shrinking and other natural causes.
• Check the foundation. Caulk all cracks and gaps. Pay special attention to areas where pipes, vents and wiring go into the home, and where the foundation meets the walls.
• Schedule a heating system maintenance visit. This should be done each year to make sure everything is in working order and to reduce the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Test carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms. Replace the batteries if necessary.
• Have a licensed chimney sweep clean and inspect your chimney. Dirty chimneys are a serious fire hazard. This inspection and cleaning should be done before you light the first fire of the season.

At Sobieski Services, our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems). Contact us today.

Image Credit: Pank Seelen