It is important to maintain the inside and outside of your home.  Fall maintenance may be easy to overlook but making it a plan each year can help keep your home in tip top shape.  Making sure your home is in good condition in the fall means you are less likely to have a disaster happen during the winter months.

• Store your lawn mower – If you don’t use your lawn mower for months and gas is still in the tank it can damage internal engine parts. To avoid damaging your lawn mower, buy fuel stabilizer to add to the tank or run the mower dry.
• Remove your hoses from outdoor faucets – If you leave your hoses attached all winter it can cause a water backup in the faucet and pipes. If water is backed up and it reaches freezing temperatures, the water freeze and expand. This can cause pipes to crack, and in turn causing water damage to your home. Also be sure to turn off water lines leading to exterior faucets.
• Drain your exterior pipes and sprinkler system – Turn off the valves and run the water until your exterior water pipes are empty. If there is still water in the pipes or sprinkler system when temperatures reach freezing the pipes can easily be damaged.
• Clean your gutter and downspout regularly – If your gutter gets clogged with leaves or sticks it can cause a leak in your roof, and cause water damage to your home.
• Paint your home’s exterior – If the exterior of your house needs a fresh paint job, fall is the perfect time to do it. When the air is not too humid and the temperature is not too cold, the paint will go on smoothly.
• Inspect or have your roof inspected – If the shingles on your roof are curling and buckling you should get them replaced. If you have any leaks or gaps, you should get them fixed before snow and ice find their way in.
• Make sure your heating system works properly – Clean and replace filters in your heating system or furnace. Have a licensed heating contractor come to your house to inspect and service your heating system to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Make sure the insulation in your attic is properly installed – If the vapor barrier on your insulation is not facing down then it is installed wrong. If your insulation is installed wrong, it can lead to water and mold damage.
• Get your plants and flowers ready for the first frost – Trim back your perennials (plants that grow back every year) and pull your annuals (plants you must replant every year).

• Trim dead branches – Trimming dead branches out of the trees around your house can prevent the dead branches from falling in a winter storm and damaging your home.
• Rake fallen leaves – Thick piles of leaves on green, healthy grass can suffocate the grass and lead to insect problems and disease, which will eventually kill the grass.
• Get your lawn ready for winter – If you live in an area where it snows a lot, put winter fertilizer on your lawn to make sure it has enough nutrients. Aerating your lawn also helps the roots grow deeper and produces a stronger and healthier lawn. If you aerate your lawn and then put winter fertilizer on it, it will grow back much better in the spring.
• Check for pests – Pests need a warm place to live in the winter and they think your house is a perfect fit. Check for them in your attic and under kitchen cupboards. To avoid getting pests install a screen in your vents.
• Have your chimney inspected – When you have your chimney cleaned, inspected, and repaired you avoid a potential chimney fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Check for leaks – Look around your house for leaks. If you find any, it is important to seal the leak to prevent unwanted moisture in your walls. This unwanted moisture can cause water damage and waste energy with heat loss through the leaking area.

Proper and regular home maintenance is very important, especially in the fall. Completing these fall home maintenance tips can save you from a disaster in winter months. Missing what seems to be a small detail, like having your chimney inspected, could cost you your home. When damage occurs, you go from paying for a inspection to paying for complete repairs.

In the unfortunate event that disaster does strike your home, Disaster Response is here for you with 24/7 emergency service. We’re just a phone call away at (844) 315-3100.