It’s officially fall, which means, depending upon where you live, the temperature is seeing a decline, and you are spending more time indoors. Fall is the perfect time to take care of your home in preparation for the winter season. Maintenance in your home will help reduce costly repairs in the future.
Remember, your local Ace Hardware store is always here to help you with any task, big or small, from getting new smoke detectors to painting your walls and from cleaning to cooking products. Need help with Heating, Cooling, or Plumbing? Contact us at Johnsons Heating today!
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
Here is your fall checklist to make sure your home is ready for the colder months.
1. Swap Out Batteries
First on our fall home maintenance checklist is to swap out batteries in every appliance that uses them. It is Fire Prevention Week in October, so it is crucial to make sure that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Swap out batteries in other appliances like TV remotes, wireless motion sensors, flashlights, power outage lanterns, etc.
2. Check Your Weather Stripping
Next on our fall checklist is to check the weather stripping around windows and doors. Weather stripping is used along your windows and doors to prevent rain, snow, and air from seeping into your home. There are many types of weather stripping materials like metal, foam, and vinyl.
The time to replace it is now before temperatures reach anywhere near below-freezing (if you live in that part of the country). The material is more pliable, and the adhesive (if so made) will stick better in the autumn season.
How often should weather stripping be replaced?
Weather stripping does not need to be replaced on a fixed schedule, but it should be checked at least once a year for cracks, gaps, peeling, or loss of flexibility. If you can feel drafts around doors or windows, it may be time to replace it.
3. Furnace Or Boiler Cleaning And Maintenance
For many, the fall season is the precursor for colder weather. Now is the perfect time to check on your furnace or boiler for annual maintenance.
It is important to add heating system cleaning and maintenance to your fall home maintenance checklist because you want to make sure your system is ready for the winter months. An HVAC professional can clean and inspect your furnace or boiler to ensure safe, efficient operation.
When should I schedule furnace maintenance?
Fall is one of the best times to schedule furnace maintenance because it gives you a chance to address potential problems before the heating season begins. An annual inspection and cleaning can help support safe, efficient operation throughout the colder months.
4. Buy Extra Furnace Filters
As you spend more of your time indoors as the days become cooler and cooler, creating great air quality in your home is important. One of the ways that you can generate better air quality is by purchasing furnace filters.
Buy extra furnace filters that are pleated and change them once a month to help create better air quality in the home. Make sure to get the dimensions of the previous furnace filter so that you know exactly which one will fit your furnace.
How often should I change my furnace filter?
How often you should change your furnace filter depends on the filter type, your HVAC system, and factors like pets, allergies, and household use. Many filters should be checked monthly and replaced when they become visibly dirty or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
5. Landscaping Preparation
Next on our fall home maintenance checklist is to start preparing your yard for the cooler season. It can help tremendously when the Spring rolls around and there is way less maintenance to do. Now is a great time to rake the lawn, apply a winterizing fertilizer, do any fall pruning of trees and shrubs, and put it all to bed for the winter.
What yard work should I do in the fall?
Fall yard maintenance can include raking leaves, pruning trees and shrubs when appropriate, applying seasonal fertilizer, cleaning up garden beds, and preparing plants for colder weather. Taking care of these tasks now can make spring cleanup easier and help protect your landscaping through winter.
6. Refinishing your Deck and Driveway
You may have wanted to refinish your deck after all the wear and tear from summer activities. With cooler temperatures and dryer weather, now is a great time to refinish your deck to protect it from the harsh winters. There are various options to choose from at our Paint Studio.
It is also a great idea to add a seal coating to your asphalt driveway. You may have started to see some cracks here and there, but it can worsen if you do not take measures to protect it.
Should I seal my driveway before winter?
Fall can be a good time to seal an asphalt driveway, especially if you notice small cracks or surface wear. Addressing those areas before repeated freezing and thawing may help reduce further damage during the winter.
7. Clean Your Windows
Another crucial element to your fall home maintenance checklist is cleaning your windows. Nothing is better than clean windows on a clear, crisp fall day.
Not only do you want to get the inside, but try not to neglect the outside of your windows. If you don’t want to wash all the windows in the house, then maybe choose the ones you look out for most.
8. Add Fuel Stabilizer
For summer power equipment, add a fuel stabilizer and fill the tanks up all the way. Fuel Stabilizers protect against corrosion, help remove water, clean the fuel system, and stabilize the fuel. Your bank account will not only thank you, but your power equipment will keep running for years to come!
Once the fuel stabilizer is added, let them run for 5 minutes and put it away for the season. If you do end up using all of the fuel stabilizer on your lawnmowers and weed trimmers, make sure to grab some more so that you can add it to your snow plowers after the winter season is coming to a close.
Should I add fuel stabilizer before storing lawn equipment?
Fuel stabilizer can be helpful when storing seasonal power equipment because it helps keep fuel from degrading during long periods of inactivity. Follow the product and equipment manufacturer instructions for the correct amount and storage process.
9. Clean And Vacuum Your Vents
Another factor on your fall home maintenance checklist is cleaning and vacuuming fan vents. We are all victims of leaving our vents until they are dusty and dirty. Add this to your home checklist to give yourself an excuse to clean them.
Cleaning and vacuuming your exhaust fan vents will help them work at peak levels and look nicer too. You can just get a simple feather duster or your vacuum and get to cleaning!
10. Clean Your Carpet
Chances are, you have not given your area rugs a deep clean. Vacuums can get the surface of your rugs, but carpet cleaners can get a deeper clean.
It can be really beneficial when you own pets, as they tend to leave pet hair and odors around your house. Fall is the perfect time to get your rugs spotless and smelling nice before spending winter in hibernation.
Now, it is understandable if you do not want to go and purchase an entire carpet cleaner. Consider renting a carpet cleaner instead to clean wall-to-wall or area rugs and upholstery. You will be amazed at how dirty it is; these machines will pull so much more dirt from the material than just vacuuming.
End Note:
As the beautiful autumn months roll around, it can be the perfect time to get some things done around the house in preparation for the winter. These can be as simple as changing out batteries or as big as prepping your lawn. Whatever you decide to try from our fall home maintenance checklist, just know that Johnson’s Ace Hardware is here to help.
Original piece is from AceHardware.com.
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