4 Essential Home Maintenance Projects for Fall

Summer is over again. As kids go back to school and the leaves begin to change their color, it’s time to also prepare you to embrace the richness of fall. Whereas the spring cleaning project you did a couple months back is meant to give your family enough time to relax and getaway in summer, the maintenance fall project you’re about to tackle is meant to give your family a warm and safe shelter when Mr. Winter comes howling about the neighborhood. Without further ado, here’s how you can ready your home for winter and still enjoy the full loveliness of fall!

4 Essential Home Maintenance Projects for Fall

Ensure your roof is ready for the fall season

Image via: New Mexico Homes

1. Have a Roof Checkup

Before you start decorating your interiors with acorns, leaves, candles, and autumn flavored drapes, take a look at your roof to make sure that it is well enough to handle the heavy rain and snow. With your roof fending against the scorching summer sunlight and undergoing the dramatic temperature fluctuation, your shingles may suffer unhealthy expansion and contraction that inadvertently expose your roof deck. When that happens, you can expect some moisture penetration and even leakage in your home. As your ceiling drip water or develop those nasty-looking molds, your living environment will suddenly lose its autumn charisma. So climb the roof before you light those cinnamon-scented candles. You want the house to look great and smell nice!

2. Clean Gutter and Downspouts

Since the chance of you climbing the roof during the dog days of summer is relatively small, we bet that you’ll not want to visit the roof when the weather turns nasty either. Like spring, fall is also a perfect season for a roof and gutter checkup because the weather is more amiable and predictable. While we don’t know what critters may have visited your gutter in summer, we certainly don’t want twigs, leaves, and other debris to affect the performance of your gutter. To have a gutter that can efficiently redirect incoming precipitation, you’ll need to take a shovel and carefully remove the accumulated elements. Finish the task off with a hose to fully flush out the smaller debris that may have escaped your “scoop.”

Ensure your gutter and downspouts are cleaned out

Image via: Southern Home Ideas

3. Cover the Air Conditioner Unit

As the temperature begins to drop, it’s also time to prepare your AC unit for hibernation. Start off by cleaning your AC unit, changing out the filters, and inspecting the system for cleanness and performance. If you have a portable unit, all you need to do is detach and store it in a safe place. If your unit is outside, you may want to wash it and cover the pipes with foam to protect them from freezing and cracking. Finally, cover your AC with a vinyl and waterproof blanket so it can sleep through winter without feeling any of its wetness and chill.

4. Tidy Up Your Garden

With leaves falling down faster than you can collect them, we recommend homeowners to remove any outdoor furniture ASAP. While summer may offer you the luxury of snoozing off on your patio chaise lounge, you are doomed to catch a cold if you are hoping for the same treat from Mr. Winter. Go ahead and move your furniture indoor and store away any unnecessary garden tools. Get out your rake to ready yourself for the falling leaves. Let’s see who can keep a neater backyard!

Tidy up your autumn garden before the cold weather sets in

Image via: Outdoor Ideas

Guest Post By Paul Kazlov is a “green” home remodeling enthusiast and an industry pioneer for innovation in home renovation. Paul writes for the Global Home Improvement blog and strives to educate people about “green” products such as metal roofing and solar. Follow him on Twitter @PaulKazlov