Basic Tips for Making Fall Home Repairs

By: Paul Denikin | DadKnowsDIY.com

As winter draws near, smart homeowners begin to think about all the tasks that need to be done in order to ensure that their homes remain in good condition. Taking time to prepare your home for the winter months can save you a lot in costly repairs down the road. Read on for tips about maintenance tasks that you should complete before Old Man Winter visits your neck of the woods.

Photo via Pixabay

Clean Your Gutters
Get rid of the leaves and debris inside your house gutters. If you don’t clean them, they might get clogged. And if they begin to leak, it could lead to multiple of issues, including rotting fascia boards, flooded basements, damaged flower beds or damaged paint on your home’s exterior. Gutters are designed to help prevent water from invading your foundation, siding and landscaping. Keep them in tip-top shape to prevent unnecessary damage to your home. According to HomeAdvisor, the average cost to have your gutters cleaned in Jamaica, NY, is $125 to $247.
 
Store Your Outdoor Furniture
When summer is almost over, don’t leave your outdoor furniture  and decorations languishing outside. Frigid temperatures, snow and ice can do a number on your garden furniture. After thoroughly cleaning the items, cover and store them in an area safe from moisture and cold temperatures. Taking these steps will extend the life of your furniture so you can enjoy them for many summers to come.
 
Call an HVAC Company
Save yourself a lot of trouble and get a licensed HVAC technician to check your heating system. HVAC technicians will inspect your heating system to ensure everything is running efficiently. They also make sure no carbon monoxide is leaking from the heating system. You definitely don’t want your heat to stop working when there’s a blizzard outside.
 
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re in working order. Put fresh batteries in the detectors and make sure they’re audible to every room in the house.
 
Check Your Roof
Before winter knocks on your door, repair any broken or missing shingles on the roof. Roofs in good repair keep melting snow and rain from leaking into your home. Hire a contractor to do this type of work as getting on top of a roof can be dangerous.
 
Store the Garden Hose
Before winter arrives, remove your garden hose, drain all the water and put the hose in storage. If you leave it connected to a faucet located outside, it can freeze in frigid temperatures. It might also reach the interior walls of your home. This situation may lead to extensive damage since this kind of leak is difficult to detect.
 
Prevent Frozen Pipes
When it’s extremely cold outside, let your faucets drip cold water. This prevents outside pipes from freezing. Keep bathroom and kitchen doors open so warm air can circulate. This will keep the plumbing fixtures warm.
 
Filters
Do you want your heating and cooling system to work efficiently during the winter months? Make sure you change the furnace filter. If your furnace filter is dirty, air can’t flow freely through the fan. This can damage your HVAC as well as the fan.
 
Keep the Wildlife Out
When the temperatures plummet, you aren’t the only one that scurries into your home to get warm. Animals like mice and other small animals want to get inside your home too. Keep those pesky pests out by searching for any holes or openings that they can squeeze through. If the holes are small, fill them with caulk. For larger openings, use strong hardware cloth.
 
Don’t Forget the Trees
If you have trees on your property, don’t forget to prepare them for the winter. Wind, heavy snow and ice are famous for causing branches to fall when Old Man Winter comes around. This can lead to property damage as well as serious injuries to anyone nearby. Prevent this from occurring by trimming your trees and getting rid of any dead branches.
 
Take steps to keep your house in good condition before winter sets in. Don’t wait till winter arrives to try to make home repairs. Take care of home maintenance tasks while the weather's cool. If you take the time to care for your home while the sun is shining, you‘ll be ready for the long days of winter and the wind, snow and ice that comes with it.

About the author
Paul Denikin is passionate about sharing his experiences working on DIY projects to benefit people with special needs children. He learned everything he knows through trial and error and many helpful Youtube videos. He created DadKnowsDIY.com to share some of the great resources he’s come across and to offer home improvement project how-tos and other accessibility information.