These fine, mellow days of August, you are probably hearing the cicadas and crickets calling from the wooded areas near your home. You may also hear the laughter of children running around the neighbourhood as they enjoy the final days of their summer holiday before returning to school for the fall.
As you take in these joyful sounds and sensations, you may turn towards your house and wonder – how can I best prepare for the changing of the seasons? Your home will be a place of respite and warmth for your family as the fall season brings fluctuating, cooler temperatures.
Here are a few important to-dos that should be on your home maintenance checklist.
- Clean and inspect your windows.
Your windows will be an important element of your home’s energy efficiency and warmth during the winter season. Ensure that they look great by giving them a quick cleaning and inspect the caulking around the windows to ensure they are properly sealed.
- Check your air filter.
After a humid summer, your household air filter will have added bacteria, mold, and mildew that will need to be addressed. Take out your air filter and check it for a few key signs that it needs replacing, by asking yourself: does it have a musty odour? Is the filter covered in dust?
Ensuring that your air filter is operating as expected will help you to achieve superior air quality, enhanced performance, and reduced energy costs for your HVAC system all fall and winter long.
- Clean out your gutters.
The summer brings with it plenty of downed vegetation and plant matter. Make sure that your gutters are not clogged with leaves, dirt, and other debris. This will prepare your home for fall precipitation by moving water away from your home’s foundation.
- Tidy your shed or garage.
This step is an important one for preparing your storage space. Fall is a busy time of year, and you may find yourself hard-pressed to get everything else done on your to-do list.
Get ahead of the fall rush by tidying and freshening up your shed or garage so that you can easily pack up and put away your outdoor furniture when the time comes.
This may also include wiping down and cleaning dirty garbage, compost, and recycling bins which you have stored in the garage. These can become quite dirty and smelly if not occasionally cleaned! Consider wiping them down with antibacterial wipes or simply rinsing thoroughly with a hose.
- Repair your driveway.
The winter season brings with it a freeze/thaw cycle that can allow water to get into any cracks. Consult with someone at a local home improvement store on the filler to use for your driveway to prevent further damage to the driveway before the harsh winter season.
- Inspect your siding and roof.
Take a moment to do a visual inspection of the exterior of your home. Have any summer storms damaged the siding by warping or shifting it? Your roof can also be inspected for anything that has been damaged.
- Trim outdoor vegetation.
Fall and winter weather can be harsh on outdoor vegetation, such as bushes and branches. Trimming back this vegetation before the heavy snow will avoid unwanted debris or damage to the exterior of your home.
As you run through this fall checklist of home maintenance to-do items, you may come across questions related to the preparation and maintenance of your air conditioning and furnace units for the coming change of seasons. Do not hesitate to give us a call – we are happy to give you greater insight!
