Preparing Your Home for Fall

Fall is full of all sorts of seasonal splendors—cool weather, festive decorations, pumpkin spiced lattes. It’s no wonder countless people look forward to this wonderful time of year. With changing seasons, however, it’s important to prepare your home for mother nature’s mood swings. As a quick reference, here are a few things to take care of before the leaves start falling.

Clean the Gutters

Let’s face it—gutter cleaning is a seasonal chore most people dread. Standing on ladders to scrape out gunk from the sides of your roof isn’t exactly the definition of a good time. However, it needs to be done to prevent issues from cropping up down the line. Unkempt gutters can damage your roof, welcome pests, and can even cause cracks in your foundation from overflowing water. While you’re on the ladder, look over your roof as well. Make sure all of the shingles look intact and there’s is no sagging or discoloration.

Check Your Chimney

Odds are your chimney and fireplace have been lying dormant during the spring and summer months. An unmaintained chimney can expose your home to smoke, soot, and carbon monoxide. For the safety of your family, take some time out of a weekend to give your fireplace a little TLC. Make sure there’s nothing blocking the flue, which can be a prime spot for a squirrel or bird nest. In addition, it’s important to check for any cracks that might welcome smoke into your home. We recommend having a trained professional inspect it to ensure it’s safe and ready for use.

Check Your HVAC

Even though your AC system has been faithfully powering through the summer, you should begin preparing it for the cooler months to come. This includes changing the filter and making sure it’s ready to take on the cold weather. In order to effectively put it to rest, you should have a trained professional inspect your AC before the cool weather rolls in. And while they’re at it, have them check the condition of your air ducts and coils. Clean coils can prevent ice from forming which can eventually damage your system.

Inspect Your Doors and Windows

With cooler weather on its way, it can be beneficial to thoroughly inspect your doors and windows, looking for any possible damage that may have occurred during spring and summer. This essential process will help keep warm air in and cold air out where it belongs. Weather stripping under doors can be compromised easily over time. Test its condition by slipping a piece of paper under an opened door and then closing it. If the paper can still be moved, you may need to replace your weather stripping.

Inspect Alarms

With any changing season, we highly recommend having trained a professional check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as any other essential home systems your home may have. Carbon monoxide is clear, tasteless, and odorless, which is why it can be a lethal danger to your loved ones. In addition to changing the batteries of detectors, it’s vital to properly test them for good measure. The safety of your family always comes first. Don’t overlook such a quick and easy task.

If you’d like to learn other home care tips, head over to the Britton Homes Blog. Want to learn more about our luxury homes? Visit us online or talk to a representative today.