10 Fall Home Maintenance Tips

Fall signals cooler weather, and the pleasant temperatures let you comfortably do necessary home maintenance before winter arrives. By taking the time to maintain your home each season, you can keep common household problems at bay.

1. Clean gutters and downspouts. Clear leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts to prevent flooding and freezing around your foundation.
2. Check your roof for signs of damage. Carefully check your roof for signs of leaks or other damage. Fall is a good time to hire a professional to perform a roof inspection.
3. Check furnace filters. Inspect your furnace and replace the furnace filters.
4. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It’s best to replace batteries annually. A good reminder is when daylight savings time ends in November.
5. Prep your lawn. Rake leaves, fertilize and aerate your lawn, so you are prepared when spring arrives.
6. Store hoses. Remove hoses from spigots. Drain and store them indoors, ensuring they are coiled and flat.
7. Swap window screens for storm windows. Remove screens and install storm windows. Clean and repair screens before storing them in the basement or garage.
8. Stock up on wood or pellets. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, it’s a good idea to stock up on wood or pellets during the fall months before winter hits.
9. Clean windows and doors. Clean windows and any sliding door tracks to ensure they operate smoothly all year long.
10. Drain gas from yard equipment. Empty gas from your lawn tools before winter arrives. Gasoline can damage rubber parts if it’s left in equipment.

Pest Prevention

As temperatures cool, the warm interior of your home can provide shelter, breeding spaces and access to nourishment for household pests. Any pest invasion—flies, rodents, squirrels, wasps, ants and various bugs—can cause property damage as well as health and safety hazards for any homeowner. Keep the following tips in mind when working to keep pests out of your home.

• Have a pest control service visit your home quarterly (every 3-4 months) to spray around your foundation and in other areas where pest infestations are likely to occur.
• Use poisons or various traps to catch and kill larger pests like mice, rats, squirrels and moles. Humane traps, which allow you to catch the pests for release, are also available.
• Practice proper food hygiene. Pests might not only feed on improperly stored, spoiled or discarded food, but also might be attracted to mold growth, live plants, human waste, cooking residue and trash.
• Check and maintain the seals around all entry points of the home. These might include not only door and window seals, but also those around your foundation, eaves, gutters, air-conditioning system and washer/dryer vents.
• Have structural damage repaired promptly. Cracks in the foundation, damage to walls and roof disrepair could all create entryways for pests. Remember, though a crack might only appear in the home’s interior, that doesn’t mean a pest won’t be able to find a way in.
• Store your trash a safe distance from the house and always keep the lids closed on the bins. Periodically wash out the bins so that they don’t accumulate grime and mold.
• Flush your drains regularly to clear them of clogs, debris and dirt. If left to accumulate, drain grime can prove a perfect breeding ground for larvae and other pests.

A Note About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are blood-sucking pests that can infest linens and bedding. With so much fabric in your household, it could be easy for a bed bug infestation to get out of hand. By regularly laundering all fabrics, vacuuming carpets and safely storing linens, you can reduce the risk of a bed bug outbreak.

For more pest management guidance and homeowners insurance solutions, contact us today.