Summer is quickly coming to an end and Fall will be here before we know it. Here in Indiana, the temperature starts to drop quickly in September. Although I will miss the warm weather, I do enjoy the changing of seasons. If you are a homeowner you also know Fall has some maintenance tasks with the change of season too. The lawn doesn't need to be mowed as often, but now it's time to rake the leaves.
Skip some home maintenance tasks and you can end up with a big repair bill on your hands. Check out these must do fall maintenance tasks to really save money and save yourself a headache later on.
Clean Your Gutters
If you have tall trees in your yard it's easy for your gutter to fill up with leaves. Make sure you clean all the leaves from your gutters so any water can freely flow through the gutters. When the water freezes it can damage the gutters or your house. A gutter scoop is a great way to quickly get all the leaves from the gutters. I try to do this task every spring and fall to keep too many leaves from clogging the gutters.
Change Your Furnace Filter
Keep your furnace running better this winter with a new furnace filter. Before you turn on the heat this winter you should make sure to have a new air filter. Changing them regularly helps with the air quality in your home and helps keep your furnace running longer. If you are like me and tend to forget when you change your filters I highly recommend Amazon. You can request that Amazon sends you a new filter every few months. Ours needs to be changed every 3 months, so every 3 months we get a new one in the mail and I know it’s time to change it.
Clean and Check Your Humidifier
If you use a humidifier in winter make sure you clean and check it before the cold weather comes. Make sure you get any mold or mildew out that may be in it and change any filters if they need to be changed.
Disconnect Outdoor Hoses
Removing the garden hoses is a simple, but important fall maintenance task. If you don’t remove the hose your pipes can crack allowing water to seep through. You may not even realize that you have a crack until you find the water damage in the house. I like to take down my garden hoses in early October before it gets too cold. I just store them wrapped up in the garage until spring. If you have an inground sprinkler system you will want to winterize it too. We usually winterize ours in October before the weather gets below freezing. You can see how to winterize a sprinkler system here.
Inspect Your Fireplace
Do you have a working chimney? If you do you should have it inspected every year. Creosote can build up along the walls of a chimney and cause problems or even a fire. A proper chimney inspection will tell if your chimney is in good working order or if you need to have it cleaned.
Drain Hot Water Heater
Draining your hot water heater once to twice a year can help prolong the life of your water heater. We have really hard water where we live so I try to clean it twice a year. Spending about an hour cleaning your water heater will help save money on your gas or electric bill and help your water heater last longer. See how to clean a water heater here.
Check Weatherstripping and Caulk
Check your windows and around the trim on your house for small gaps. Often after years, caulk around the windows and doors can wear away. You can save yourself a lot of future damage by filling the gaps. It will not only help seal any air leaks to keep the cold out but will also prevent rain or snow from getting into the gaps and causing rot or mold. Do a quick caulk check around all your windows and doors.
Also, take a few minutes to inspect the weatherstripping on any exterior doors. Any weatherstripping that is torn or missing should be replaced. It only takes a few minutes to replace the weatherstripping but can really help keep the cold out.
Check Smoke Detectors
I like to check all of my smoke detectors in the spring and the fall. Just take a few minutes to make sure that they all work. Fall is also a good time to change out the batteries in your smoke detectors. Make sure you test the smoke detector again after you change the batteries. Remember that smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years.
So get ready for winter and get these must do fall maintenance tasks off your to-do list today! What home maintenance tasks do you take care of in the fall?
