Five Tasks to Add to Your Fall Home Maintenance List

For many of us, the autumn season means falling leaves, football season and pumpkin-flavored something. But, if you’re a homeowner, fall should mean must-do maintenance—in preparation for winter, of course!

So, before you take a sip of your favorite pumpkin latte or seasonally-spiced beer, take a look at these five fall home maintenance tasks:

1. Clean the Gutters

We know; we know. The sight of falling leaves is captivating during this time of year. Unfortunately, letting those leaves build up in your gutters can be devastating once winter rolls around. So that you can avoid ice dams this winter, take one step further than sweeping leaves out of your gutters and downspouts. Once all the leaves have fallen, hose out your gutters, so your home can cleanly head into winter.

2. Seal Doors and Windows

You’ve probably already noticed a little extra chill in the air in morning and at night. While that crisp air may feel quite nice right now, you certainly won’t want to feel the cold air once the temperature drops a bit further. Protect hot air from escaping your home (and cold air from coming in) by sealing your doors and windows. Check for any drafts and add caulking to seal up any areas where air could be escaping.

3. Reverse Ceiling Fans

Though you don’t want to stop using your ceiling fans during winter months, you do want to better regulate the way air is circulating through your home. In hotter months, you want to keep your fans running counter-clockwise and at rapid speeds. Now that it is starting to cool down, particularly overnight, you’ll want to reverse the direction of your ceiling fans and slow them down a bit. This way, you’ll help direct warm air lingering near the top of the ceiling down to your level.

4. Stow your Mower

Some homeowners may breathe a sigh of relief when they see this fall home maintenance task. Though it may take you a few hours to clean and defuel your summer mowing and trimming tools, stowing them away for the winter may give you a satisfaction you’ve been waiting for. After all, although lawn maintenance tools are typically used weekly, your snow-removal tools often are only needed when big winter storms hit. Speaking of those tools, now is a good time to make sure they’re in working condition. You don’t want to find out they’re broken after the first big winter storm hits!

5. Check the Chimney

Nothing says fall like sitting around a fire (s’mores included!). If your family loves burning a fire indoors, now is the time to make sure your chimney is in check! Instead of tackling this fall maintenance task by yourself, it is wise to call in a professional. In fact, whether you heat your home with a wood-burning fireplace, electric or gas, fall is the time to have a professional make sure everything is working efficiently for the winter. You don’t want to deal with the cold (or the costs) of making HVAC renovations when you need this system the most.

Take your time to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of fall. But, before you do, make sure to complete these five fall home maintenance tasks first!