Getting Your Home Ready for Fall
Fall is one of my favourite times of the year. Back-to-school, trees turning gorgeous colours, big piles of crunchy leaves perfect for jumping in, Thanksgiving and Halloween! Now is the perfect time to prepare your home while the weather is still nice.
1. Clean Your Gutters They should be cleaned every fall to prevent clogs and leaks. That way, falling leaves won’t add to blocked gutters.
2. Inspect Your Furnace Turn on your furnace to make sure it is working so if there is a problem you have time to fix it before the cold sets in. Get the duct work cleaned and don’t forget to replace your filter!
3. Chimney Sweep Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected to give you peace of mind when lighting your first fire of the season.
4. Wash the Windows Wash your home’s windows and exterior so you can see those gorgeous fall colours. This will also help prevent mold and mildew from forming.
5. Fertilize Grass seed and fertilizer will help your lawn recover from summer and be ready once spring comes around.
6. Garden There is always lots to do in the garden to prepare it for fall. Now is the perfect time to plant shrubs and bulbs. Plant icicle pansies into spots where summer annuals have been cleared out. They’ll bloom until December, then they’ll be ready to sprout new flower buds in early spring.
7. Clean lawn equipment Prepare lawn mowers for the winter by cleaning them of dirt and grass clippings. To prevent fuel from gumming up the engine, drain the tank into a gas can and run the engine until it stops.
8. Drain Your Water Heater Your water heater should be seen by a professional at least once a year. A quick fix is to drain and re-fill it. This will remove any sediment in the bottom of your tank, and improve efficiency by up to 50%.
9. Inspect your Roof From the ground, use binoculars to look for missing, loose, or damaged shingles. Check for leaks which might mean looking into your attic. Now is the time to make any repairs necessary.
10. Test Your Smoke Alarms Toronto Fire Services remind us that Fire Prevention Week is October 4 to 9, their tag line is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives“. A good way to remember is to check carbon monoxide and smoke detector batteries when the time changes, both in the spring and fall.