Beautiful colors and crunchy leaves are the best part of fall. With those crunchy leaves come cooler temperatures. Use our tips for preparing your home for colder weather so your entire house is ready for a cozy season.
Clean the Gutters
During the fall months the leaves do a job on our gutters as they fill them up. Keep an eye on the trees in your yard. Once the leaves are done falling, clean out the gutters so nothing gets stuck and frozen in them over the winter.
HVAC Maintenance
There are two important times of the year to have your HVAC system cleaned and checked by your HVAC professional: once in the spring and again in the fall.
In between those times, it’s essential to keep an eye and ear out for signs the airflow of your HVAC system isn’t working properly. There are all kinds of reasons the airflow diminishes, leaving you with a cold house in the fall and winter. Your HVAC service person knows how to get your system working efficiently again.
Schedule your fall HVAC maintenance now so you aren’t surprised by a cold house when temperatures drop overnight.
Seal Doors and Windows
Cold air sneaks in through cracks and the warm air from your furnace sneaks out. Properly seal doors and windows to avoid the escape of warm air and the entrance of cold air. Here are a few items you can use to seal those areas:
- Foam tape
- Weather strips
- Window film
- Caulk
- Insulated curtains
- Door snake
These items are all found at home improvement stores.
Clean the Chimney and Collect Wood
If your home has a fireplace that you enjoy using in the summer, get it cleaned soon so you can turn it on when you’re chilly during the winter. Also, have the chimney checked at the same time for any safety issues that need addressing. Now is the time to get your pile of wood going for your woodburning fireplace.
Unhook the Outdoor Hoses
Make sure all of the outdoor water is shut off then unhook any garden hoses from outside spigots so the water doesn’t back up and freeze in the pipes. Store your outdoor hoses indoors for the colder seasons.
Shut Down the Pool
Your pool served you well during the summer but now it’s closing time. Schedule the final emptying, cleaning, repairing, and shutting down of the pool. When done properly, your pool is ready to quickly set up again next summer.
Cover Patio Furniture
Cold weather is tough on uncovered patio furniture, leaving it damaged. Invest in furniture covers designed to fit your patio furniture and get the furniture covered when you notice it’s no longer being used.
Hopefully, our list of tips for preparing your home for colder weather helps motivate you to get these things done so you can focus on more important things, such as hot cocoa, cozy blankets, and warm sweaters.
