Top Six Home Maintenance Tips for Fall in Utah
Fall is in the air! The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling down, many fall activities are happening and it’s time to start thinking about winter. While you’re busy getting your home ready for the colder months, don’t forget about some vital home maintenance tasks that need to be done this fall. Check out our six tips below and ensure your home is prepared for anything winter throws at it!
1. Check Your Detectors
All new homes are completed with working smoke detectors as part of the final inspection between the builder and the buyer. It is essential to test them every couple of months, especially if you love to cook. Some smoke alarms operate on replaceable batteries, while others have just one built-in, long-lasting power source.
It is also important to ensure there is an alarm on every level and on either side of the door of each sleeping space. Similarly, your home should include at least one carbon monoxide detector, which should also be tested regularly. To ensure all are working optimally, you can vacuum away any dust which may have accumulated in the air intake area each time you clean the house.
2. Clean Deeply
Rather than wait for “spring cleaning,” consider giving your kitchen a thorough scrubbing before winter sets in. This way, you can go into the holiday season with a clean slate before preparing those festive meals. One of the critical areas to address is the refrigerator – especially the door shelves and the vegetable drawers. Consider emptying out the entire appliance, discarding old things that will not be used and wiping down every surface. Also, do the same with the freezer but give it time to defrost first by leaving it open for a couple of hours after removing all of the contents. Lastly, you may want to empty the ice trays and give them a good cleaning out as well.
3. Check the Air Flow
It is important to replace the dust filter in your furnace intake area every fall. This way, the dust and dirt particles that were trapped by the previous year’s filter are completely removed from the system. Also, suppose you have window air conditioning units. In that case, you can either remove them until the following spring or wrap the exterior of each unit in heavy-duty plastic to keep cold air from coming inside.
While you’re at it, have a look at the weather stripping insulation around the inside of each outside-leading door. If it appears to have come loose from lots of activity during the warm summer months, it can be easily replaced with a quick trip to your local home improvement store.
Lastly, your ceiling fans can be used to circulate warm air towards the floor by reversing the direction of the blades and running them on low. Most units have a manual switch on the center housing of the fan electronics.
4. Check Your Gutters and Roof
One of the most essential fall home maintenance tips is to check your rain gutters and roof. If your home is new, it should be a quick inspection. Your rain gutters may have accumulated a small layer of leaves and dirt over the summer, which should be removed before winter sets in. Also, any tree branches that have grown close to the roof should be trimmed away and any shingles that appear to be loose or missing should be replaced.
5. Get Rid of Pests
As winter sets in, rodents may see your property as a way to keep warm without digging a burrow. This is why it is crucial to inspect the exterior base of the home, door jambs, windowsills and headwalls for any tiny entry points that may have developed or been nibbled away. Also, make sure garage trash cans do not have holes at their bases from being dragged to and from the curb. If so, simply replace them with units that are equipped with wheels.
6. Tidy Up Outside
If you have a garden hose installed for watering plants, remove it before the first freeze so that it does not crack. Once you have done this, make sure the spigot is completely off and does not have a slow drip. If you have plastic or vinyl lawn or patio furniture, consider moving it into storage so that it is not exposed to cold temperatures.
Fall is a great time to do some maintenance around the house in preparation for winter. These six tips from the expert home builders in Utah County at McArthur Homes are a good starting point but don’t forget to contact us if you need more help or have any questions. We can provide you with all the information you need about new properties ready to move into before winter begins. Give us a call today!
Categorized in: DIY Project, Home Maintenance Tips
This post was written by Paige Giles
