While our transition into fall typically involves treating ourselves to a pumpkin spice latte, your home also needs seasonal pick-me-up. Checkups and calibrations are the equivalent of your home’s “winter coat,” insulating and protecting your property during the coming winter storms against the cycle of precipitation, freezing and thawing. Although you probably won’t see snow until November or December, the changing weather will start taking its hold before you know it.
You’re probably familiar with some basic autumn-time tasks, such as gutter cleaning before the snow and ice arrives, but there are a variety of to-dos to put on your list to ensure that your home weathers the cold season in stride.
Some colder-season home maintenance basics
After the long, sunny summer, it is ideal to have your home inspected from top to bottom to make sure it’s ready for the impact colder weather will have both inside and out. During the summer, minor issues with your home can be a nuisance, but during the winter these could snowball (pun intended!) into major problems. That’s why a thorough pre-winter maintenance checklist should include:
- Heating system check– Fires can be cozy and add some extra warmth, but they won’t help much if your central heating isn’t working properly. If your home is cooled and warmed through an HVAC system, fall is the time to inspect it, particularly to make sure that heat is blowing out after months of cold air pumping through the pipes. Get the system inspected for proper heat blowing before those fall winds start blowing through.
- Air filters and ventilation inspection – The colder weather means that your windows and doors will remain shut for long periods of time. This makes proper air flow and ventilation that much more important. Contaminates, dirt and even mold can build up without proper ventilation, and your tightly-shut windows could increase the chances of these particles not making their way out of your home. Changing filters, removing debris, cleaning ventilation registers and assessing air ducts’ condition prevent such problems before they start.
- Firebox maintenance – You want to make sure your fireplace is clean before the weather turns frosty. If you have a working fireplace and plan to stay toasty around it as the temperatures dip, it’s important to go through an inspection, sweep and thorough cleaning of the firebox (that’s the enclosure, closed on three sides but open to your room, where the wood actually burns- the chimney is above it). If your chimney needs cleaning, we can recommended qualified folks to do that sort of work.
When’s the ideal time to put on your home’s “winter coat?”
Most autumn home maintenance services should be scheduled in September. Waiting until October could mean your home has to weather the first freeze without the inspections, cleaning, and servicing it needs, and it could be susceptible to a host of issues once those leaves blow in with the cold fall winds. Not to mention, it is a lot easier for maintenance professionals to do the work while the weather’s still mild.
With HomeSquare’s essential maintenance plan, you’ll be sure to get the checks and maintenance work you need, when you need them. The plan includes dozens of home maintenance services, including gutter cleaning, firebox cleaning, HVAC services, appliance and electrical maintenance and more. A licensed professional handyman will go above and beyond to make sure your home is at top standards for every season. So kick back with your Pumpkin Spice and don’t worry about this fall and winter because you’ll be plenty prepared.