As a homeowner, it is crucial to ensure that you provide regular maintenance throughout the year. Fall maintenance can go a long way toward preparing your home for the colder temperatures and ensuring that you can maintain a comfortable environment. Your windows are an important part of your fall maintenance checklist, because the windows have a substantial impact on the overall insulation and energy-efficiency of the property. Here is a fall maintenance checklist for your windows and the rest of your home.
Seal your Windows
It is important to check around your windows for signs of drafts and insufficient sealing. This can help you to ensure that you can maintain a more comfortable environment in the home, because the windows shouldn’t allow drafts to enter into your home. You may be able to detect drafts by holding a candle or other type of flame around the edges of your window. If the flame blows out, it is possible that there is a draft there. Sealing these drafts is important to do in the fall months. You should check on the caulking and weatherstripping that surround your windows and ensure that they are in good condition. Replace them as necessary.
Clean and Inspect Gutters
Your gutter system is able to protect your home. It redirects water away from the foundation of your building in an attempt to minimize the likelihood of water damage. When you don’t inspect the gutters of your building, it is possible that they will have issues that prevent them from functioning as intended. It is important to ensure that you clear your gutter system from debris to remove clogs and blockage to your gutter system. This is crucial in preventing issues to your property.
Inspect Roof
Like your gutter system, your roof serves to protect your home. It can minimize water damage and many additional problems with your building. It is important to thoroughly inspect your roof when you are working through the fall maintenance checklist for your home. When you don’t inspect your roof, it is possible that there is damage to the roof that will simply be exacerbated when it is exposed to winter weather. A roof inspection is an important part of keeping your building in good condition.
Change Furnace Filter
You need to regularly change the filter of your furnace. This helps to keep it efficient and minimizes the possibility of damage to your furnace. It can also help to improve the air-quality of your property. When you change the furnace filter during your fall maintenance, you can ensure that it is changed on a regular basis.
Inspect the Furnace
You will rely on your furnace a substantial amount during the cold temperatures. When issues arise with your furnace, it can be incredibly inconvenient. Inspecting the furnace will help to identify issues and ensure that the appropriate maintenance has been provided. This can go a long way toward minimizing issues throughout the winter months.
Check on your Detectors
Your various detectors are an important component of keeping your property safe. Ensure that you check on your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to make certain that they are working. You will also likely want to change the batteries in the detectors at this time. These batteries need to be replaced on a regular basis to ensure that your various detectors are able to protect your safety and the safety of your loved ones.
Care for your Driveway and Sidewalk
When winter weather impacts your concrete surfaces, it can cause cracks to expand and many additional issues to occur to your property. Due to this, it is an important part of your fall maintenance checklist to inspect the driveway and sidewalk of your property. Seal large cracks or have other issues repaired. This will help to prevent these issues from escalating when winter arrives.
Drain Outdoor Faucets
You need to ensure that you drain the outdoor faucets during your fall maintenance. When you forget to do so, they can freeze, which can lead to burst pipes, flooding, and many additional problems. By draining outdoor faucets and turning off the water access to these areas, you can help to minimize the possibility of substantial issues.
Insulation
Insulation will help to keep your home comfortable and reduce your energy expenses. When your home has insufficient insulation, it will let a substantial amount of energy and heat escape from your home. By paying attention to the insulation of your property, you can help to keep your home much more comfortable.
Care for your Lawn
It may seem counterproductive to work on your lawn before it will be covered in layers of snow, but this preventative step can go a long way toward preparing your lawn for the summer months. The fall is a great time to fertilize and reseed your lawn, which can help to provide the best possible condition when the winter thaw comes.
Check your Chimney
The wintertime is the most likely time for you to use your fireplace. Due to this, it is important to ensure that you thoroughly inspect your chimney prior to using it. Make certain that all blockage can be removed from the chimney. This can also help to ensure that you have appropriate repairs made prior to using your fireplace.
Rake Leaves
It can be tempting to leave a blanket of leaves on your lawn in the fall. When the leaves become covered by the snow, they will simply inhibit the spring growth of your lawn. This can lead to much more damage to your property, so raking the leaves can help to eliminate issues.
Following this fall maintenance checklist is an important part of keeping your building in good condition. This helps to prepare the building for the winter months, which can minimize substantial problems. The appropriate maintenance for your windows can help to improve the energy efficiency of your building and reducing issues over time. To learn more about the important maintenance that your windows need, contact us at Moyes Glass today!