Fall Home Maintenance Tips for 2015

Fall is here and with it comes the changes of leaves, holiday festivities and gobs of Halloween candy. It is also a great time to break out our Autumn Maintenance List and make sure that our house is in tip-top shape for the new season.

Fall/Autumn Home Maintenance Tips

Fall (or Autumn if you prefer) is a wonderful time of year, associated with beautiful sights (colorful leaves), delicious smells (pumpkin pie) and a bevy of food and fun. It is also a time when the weather begins to shift from hot to cold – depending upon where you are located. With the shift of temperature, you might find yourself relying on your HVAC system more, or for different reasons, and because of that, it should be one of the first items on your fall maintenance checklist.

Swapping out your filter and calling in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning expert to give your HVAC unit a tune-up will not only ensure that your family stays comfortable throughout the season, but it can also prolong the life of your heating and cooling system and save you money on monthly utility bills at the same time. A win-win!

As noted above, Autumn brings about the change of leaves, and if you are not careful, you will soon find yourself with a gutter full of the vibrant flora. This debris can wreak havoc on your drainage system, which in turn can lead to roof damage and other issues in your home. Be sure to add cleaning the gutters and checking your drainage system to the top of your Autumn maintenance to-do list.

Another problem associated with the change of season is drafts in the home and energy loss. As air leaks occur in a home, they can cause your HVAC system to work overtime, leading to a waste of energy and heating loss. To help prevent this problem or mitigate the damage, check all of your window sills and apply caulk anywhere you find a poor seal. Better yet, call out a home energy auditor to check your home for any leaks and make sure your house is as energy efficient as possible. While you may pay an upfront fee for this service, it could save you oodles in the long run.

Another vital area to have inspected at the change of season is the roof. Fall is often associated with snow and ice, particularly in colder climates, and it can wear and tear on the top of your home. To prevent a small issue from become a major catastrophe, we suggest calling in a roofing expert to inspect your home’s roofing system for any leaks, damage materials, or other problems.

Finally, if you have a wood burning fireplace (or any other kind for that matter), now is the perfect time to get it checked for any damage. While you are at it, make sure it is cleaned properly as well and make any necessary repairs before the season really kicks in. A dirty or damaged fireplace can easily become a fire hazard, and spending the little extra money to have it serviced is well worth the peace of mind.