Along with the joys, comfort and security of homeownership comes many various responsibilities. Preparing your home for upcoming seasons is one of them.
With the official first day of fall behind us it is a good idea to begin preparing your home for the upcoming fall and winter season. Better to be prepared than to end up with costly repairs in the long run for having not prepared for the weather and conditions.
Here are several things to keep in mind when preparing your home for the upcoming season:
- Perform a roof check. You can get a professional roofing contractor to do this or you can do it yourself. Look for loose or deteriorated shingles or gaps in the roof line or along the edges.
- Chimney and fireplace inspection. It is probably preferable to get a professional to perform a chimney inspection, so they can not only inspect for deficiencies or clogs but to sweep it as well for winter use.
- It is always a good idea to check water lines for clogs, but this can be included in your seasonal inspection. Turning off outdoor water lines and storing hoses is also a good preventative measure!
- Check windows and doors for drafts, cracks or deterioration in the framing.
- Trim landscaping and have irrigation system inspected and professionally prepared for winter if you have one. Inspect trees for limbs that are too close to power lines or roofs.
- Store outdoor furniture and seasonal items. If you have a pool, properly close it for the season.
- Have garage organized so generators are easy to get to if needed as well as have it prepared for use. Have all summer equipment winterized and stored properly.
- Have snow shovels and ice melt stored at a location that you can easily get to if needed.
There can be more to prepare at your own home so be smart and think through what might need to be done before the fall and winter seasons set in. It is not much fun trying to do things in the colder weather that could have been done during the warmer weather and thought through more carefully.
By doing a lot of these things can possibly prevent issues, future damage, repairs and insurance claims at your home!