19 FALL (AUTUMN) HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS TO START TODAY!

19 Fall (Autumn) Home Maintenance Tips To Start Today!

Do you love the season change to colder weather? Then, why not take the time to get started doing Fall (Autumn) maintenance on the home? Following you will find nineteen tips to help get you started!

Fall Outdoor Home Maintenance Tips

Tree & Shrub Mulching – Think about what maintenance you need to do concerning your trees and shrubs. Replace old mulch with new mulch for the new season. Doing this one care tip will help maintain moisture levels around trees and protect from extreme temperature changes.

Tree & Shrub Pruning – Fall is a great time to prune your trees and shrubs. As the leaves fall from your trees, you can see where they need pruning more easily. Moreover, seasonal pruning provides for a healthier tree or shrub.

Plan & Plant New Trees – Many of us think of Spring as the time to plant new trees. However, Autumn is an ideal time, as well. Colder weather will stimulate the tree roots to grow better.

Additional Lawn Care – Other Autumn lawn care tips include raking leaves and doing outside garden maintenance. At the end of the summer season, I found topsoil for an excellent price. I purchased enough bags to do my next Fall project. I plan to redo my small garden in front of my home since cooler weather has set in.

Exterior Maintenance – Now is the time to clean out the gutters and check the downspouts around your home. Clean gutters and spouts will ensure water flows freely and prevents damage to the house.

Make Exterior Repairs – With the Fall weather, it is a great time to make exterior repairs. Look for issues on the roof and exterior wall surfaces of the home. Repair any siding damage and also take a look at the home's foundation.

Exterior Sealing – Before the coldest temperatures come with Winter, take a look at places on the outside of the home which need new sealing. This can include sealing around windows and exterior walls. Look for areas cold temps can affect your home energy savings. Also, view where small rodents can get into the home from the outside.

Apply Weather Strips & Window Plastic – Apply weather stripping around the windows if needed. Also, make a plan to place window plastic over windows if you choose to.

Inspect Walkabouts – Autumn is the time to take a look at your home's walkabouts, sidewalks, and entry steps. Make sure each area is good order and check railings. The driveway should be checked as well during this time of year.

Gather Winter Supplies – Winter is a short time away, and Fall is the time to get Winter supplies on hand. Check your supplies for ice melt for walkways and windshield spray (to help clear frost and ice from cars). Also, don't forget to inspect snow shovels and be sure you have ice scrapers available.

Remove Outdoor Hoses – Before extreme temps come into your area, remove outdoor hoses, or at least disconnect them from outdoor faucets. In some locations, it is wise to place faucet covers on the exterior outlets.

Fall Indoor Home Maintenance Tips

Now, let us reveal the things you can do indoors for Fall Maintenance!

Check Smoke Detectors – Smoke detectors should be checked monthly with batteries replaced with each season change. This will keep them functioning correctly to keep your family safe. Moreover, don't forget to press the test button to make sure they are working correctly.

Fire Extinguisher – Often, we don't think to check and inspect our fire extinguishers. The autumn term is a perfect time to place this on your to-do list. Check the expiration date of any of your fire extinguishers. Many of the smaller pressurized ones have test buttons. For example, the fire extinguisher I have under the kitchen sink has a little red pop up button on it. I press it down to see how quickly it comes back up. This gives me a good idea as to how well it will perform if needed.

Radon Testing – Radon testing is another way to keep your family safe. Checking the home for radon levels during the new season change is paramount. If the house has little or no radon, then this lowers your family's chances of getting lung cancer and other health issues related to high levels of radon.

Remove Window Units (A/C) – Since cooler weather is here, consider removing any window air conditioning units from windows. This will help save energy on heating bills for the new and upcoming season. Another option if you cannot remove the units is to place A/C covers over the unit and check for any areas which need to be sealed around the unit.

Other Indoor Home Maintenance Checks – Other checks to do for the Fall season include checking for lint build-up within dryer vents. Keeping the lint clear helps lower energy output and can prevent a home fire.

Inspection of chimneys before the winter season approaches is also essential. Have your chimney inspected by a professional if you plan to use the fireplace.

Furthermore, a heating system recheck of heating units will help you save money. Yearly inspections and maintenance will keep heating (and cooling) units in better operation. Also, rechecks can help spot issues before the coldest temperatures come to your area.

Autumn Energy Audits – The final Fall season tip is to do an energy audit. You can do this yourself or bring in someone to do it. Many electric and gas companies will come into your home and do a free energy audit. The audit looks for things that will help you to lower your energy bills during any season.

Fall (Autumn) Home Maintenance Wrap-Up

Now, you have some ideas on how to prepare your home in the Fall. You understand the need to check your trees and shrubs. You have a plan to review the exterior surfaces of the house for maintenance needs. Moreover, you know additional areas to check – such as walkways and the driveway.

Besides, you have a checklist to get started on Autumn home maintenance on the inside of your home. Check detectors, clean lint vents, remove AC units and inspect the home heating system. Doing or receiving an energy audit will help with energy savings in the coldest months of the year.

Do you have other home maintenance tips you do during this season? Would you be enthusiastic about sharing them here on WriteSpike? We would love to hear your thoughts! Happy Autumn!