Early fall is the right time to get your yard and house in order because come winter, small problems can turn into expensive nightmares.
Here are a few outdoor chores that will have an immediate payoff...
Check the Roof
Once the winter freeze-thaw cycle kicks in, a tiny leak in your roof can turn into a crevasse—and a $10,000-plus repair job. So get out and clean those clogged gutters and dribbling spigots before the weather turns too much colder.
Get Some Leaf Relief
Fallen leaves can kill grass when they’re matted down by snow. Leaf piles can also attract rodents. But using leaf bags means work, and waste if they go into a landfill.
What to do: Make use of your lawn mower’s mulching mode. Ground-up leaves nourish the soil, which saves you money down the line and you’ll save the cost of leaf bags.
Clear Gutters
Gutters stuffed with leaves, pine needles, and other debris can let water spill over the side, pool around your home’s foundation, and seep inside. Water that freezes in gutters can force snow and ice into roof shingles, causing damage and leaks.
What to do: Consider a gutter-guard system to keep debris out. Make sure that gutter drains extend 5 feet from the house and that soil slopes away from the foundation 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more.
Consider hiring a pro to clean gutters in the fall and spring. That might be worth it rather than risking a fall off a ladder if you do the job yourself.
Close Your Hoses
Pipes can burst when water inside expands as it freezes, creating an expensive mess in your home.
What to do: Shut off inside valves that control water flow to hose spigots. Then briefly open the spigots to drain any leftover water in pipes and hoses. Also drain water from supply lines for water sprinklers and pools, and shut off inside valves that control them. And help prevent freezing by insulating pipes in unheated areas.
Save thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs and water damage, especially if pipes burst and cause a flood while you’re away.
Plug the Leaks
The swiftest savings come from sealing air leaks in your home’s walls, windows, and especially its ductwork.
What to do: Sealing and insulating your home’s air ducts are jobs best left to a professional. But you can use a combination of caulk, foam board, expandable sealant, and weather stripping to plug leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, and other openings.
Plugging leaks could lower your annual heating and cooling bills easily by $400.
Fall is also a great time to review your Home Insurance so that you will be ready for anything Winter throws at you!!! Give us a call today.