You see those leaves falling in your yard, don’t you? Get control of them before they take over! This fall, use this simple checklist to make sure you’ve winter-proofed your home with these important fall maintenance tasks.
- Make sure the warm air stays in, and the cold air stays out: check the seal on your windows and doors for drafts and leaks. Seal up air leaks to save energy and keep your home toasty all winter.
- Go ahead and protect your outdoor faucets: wrap and winterize your outdoor faucets now, ahead of the first freeze and you won’t have to worry come the first snow.
- Give your furnace a check-up: most HVAC companies offer a fall furnace check-up and cleaning to make sure everything is in working order. You never want this system to fail when it zero degrees outside. Be sure to switch to a clean new filter as well.
- Call the chimney sweep: make sure your fireplace and chimney are ready for the winter. It’s important to keep these items in working order, free of debris.
- Don’t forget the leaves: especially clean them out of your gutters. Stay on top of this weekly until the trees are done dropping them.
- Store your outdoor summer patio furniture: either cover it or bring it inside to protect it from the harsh weather. This includes cloth umbrellas, pool toys, hammocks and chairs with cloth cushions or covers.