Fall Homeowner Tips

Some take away tips from a few various sources on fall home maintenance and "to-do's."

Take care of your gutters. It is so important to keep them clean - clogged gutters can lead to damaged exterior surfaces and to water in your basement (if you have one). It also will create a problem with rust and corrosion. Consider covering them with a mesh guard to keep the leaves and debris out.

Fill your leaky spots. If your windows and doors have air leaks, you are wasting energy/money! Weather-strip or caulk to reduce the drafts adn keep your home more comfortable.

Also, check for missing or damaged caulk around windows, doors and entry points for electrical, cable, phone, gas and so on. Seal those gaps!

Check your roof! Start at the top and work your way down, use binoculars if necessary. Look for cracks and wind damage, damage to metal flashing, missing, curled or damanged shingles - and check the gutters again.

Are your walkways, drives or steps damaged? Fix them now before there is ice! Look for cracks more than 1/8 inch wide, uneven sections and loose railing on steps. There are many do-it-yourself fixes for these before they turn into major fixes. Check with your local hardware store.

If you live somewhere that the weather gets below freezing, make sure that your outside faucets are taken care of - and don't forget about your inground sprinkler system. You can close off any shut off valves to outside faucets and open the faucet and drain the line. If you don't have shut off valves, you should insulate the faucets with covers sold at home centers.