End of Summer Maintenance: Getting Your Home Ready for Fall

September 9, 2021

Time flies when you are enjoying the lovely, sunny summer weather! Before we even realize it, the end of summer is here, and the colder weather of Fall is on the way. When the seasons change, it’s always a good idea to take care of home maintenance to wrap things up and prepare your home for the next season. As the cold sets in, you’ll want to make sure your home is all set to keep you and your family warm and cozy through the upcoming months. While the last warm winds of summer blow through, now is the perfect time to tackle your end-of-summer maintenance.

Here are some home maintenance tasks to complete to get your home ready for Fall:

Prep Your Lawn

Now would be an excellent time to aerate or fertilize your lawn before the cold weather takes hold. Even though the blades above ground appear to stop growing in the winter months, the roots are still growing, and the aeration and fertilization get them primed for these cold seasons. As the leaves begin to turn and fall off the trees, it’s a good idea to keep your lawn cut short. A trim lawn will make raking up the fallen leaves a much easier task you can take care of quickly.

Cleaning Your Gutters

The end of the summer is an excellent time to clean out your gutters, clearing out the debris collected over the past few months. As the leaves finish falling off the surrounding trees, you should also clean out the gutters one last to ensure debris from falling leaves is cleared for winter. Just as crucial, run a snake through the downspouts to ensure that the gutters are draining correctly. While you are on the ladder clearing out the gutters, look around at your roof and see if there are any damages or missing shingles that need to be replaced.

Clean the Exterior

After cleaning your gutters, you’ll want to fire up your power washer and clean the exterior of your house. Power washing will include all the windows, siding, and deck. As you wash the siding, keep an eye out for any defects such as buckling or peeling. If you come across any, you should have a professional replace the panel or fix the more significant issue underneath, such as mold or similar water damage. Put away any summer furniture you don’t want to leave out on your deck during winter.

Check on Your HVAC or Furnace

Start by replacing your furnace filter, which you should typically do every three months. Next, you’ll want to give your HVAC a test run and see if there are any issues with heating your home. If your unit is older or you notice something off with it during the test run, you should call in a professional to come and service it before disaster strikes in the middle of winter and you are left without heat.

Insulation Throughout the Home

Keeping your home well insulted will increase your home’s energy efficiency and bring your energy bills down. Start by checking the window and doors for any air leaks, which you can do by running your hand around the perimeter to see if you feel a draft. If you come across any, be sure to re-caulk them. You can also weatherstrip your windows and doors to create a tighter seal to keep warm air in and the elements out. If you have storm windows, now is a good time to swap them in.

Taking Care of Everything Else

  • Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Change the direction of ceiling fans to create and upward draft and move around the warm air from the ceiling.
  • Deep clean your grill and prepare it for storage.
  • Remove your garden hose and turn off the water supply to exterior faucets.
  • Check your driveway for any cracks and use driveway filler to seal them up to prevent more damage during the winter months.
  • Ensure you have the proper snow clearing gear ready to go and in working order before the first flurries arrive.

Proper Home Maintenance for Fall

Each season brings another round of vital maintenance to tackle. Carving out some time to take care of these tasks can help you avoid and allow you to stay on top of the condition of various systems, components, and appliances throughout your home. You can get ahead of problems and catch them before they become more significant issues that come along with more expensive costs. You can rest easy after completing these tasks, knowing your home is all set for cold weather.


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