7 Home Maintenance Tips - Especially for Fall and Winter

By Patrick Juma, Sep 02, 2019

Surprisingly, many people don’t do these seasonal maintenance projects

Photo of a home.

Are you someone who procrastinates on home maintenance projects?

You neglect these projects and only tackle them or seek professional help when an appliance breaks down or the system is malfunctioning.

“Most homeowners call us to clean their gutters when they are overflowing and the rain water is pounding the grounds next to the house foundation” says property maintenance specialist Patrick Juma.

It is important to schedule home maintenance for your homes upkeep and well-being.

Here are some expert tips to treat your home with love and care:

Gutter Cleaning - Many experts recommend cleaning your gutters at least twice a year– once in the late spring and once in the late summer/early fall. But there are a few factors that you should take into account. For instance, If you have pine trees growing above your house, consider inspecting your gutters every 3 months.
Heating and cooling system - No matter how expensive your HVAC system is or what the manufacturer promises, a complicated piece of mechanical equipment is subject to breakdowns and needs repairs every so often. Reduce the incidence of repairs by keeping it on top of annual maintenance list.
Dryer Vent Cleaning - Lint build up in dryer vents can make your dryer work less efficiently and even cause a fire -cool, dry fall weather increases static electricity ,which can ignite lint that has built up, so fall is a key time to get that lint out. You can hire a duct cleaning specialist to clean the vents for you or clean the vent yourself.
Chimney Cleaning - Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned ,maintained and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one -it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!
Window Cleaning - Windows are the biggest source of heat loss in your home during colder months. When windows are dirty ,less sunlight is able to enter your home. When less sunlight is able to enter your home more heating is required. Other than Spring, Fall is the next best time to clean your windows .This can save money on your heating costs and increase the longevity of your glass windows.
Roof Inspection - Inspect the roofing for missing ,loose or damaged shingles & leaks. Fall is especially an essential time to inspect your roof to see if it is ready for winter weather. Heavy loads of snow and ice can severely damage your home’s roof. Be prepared and have your residential roof inspected before the temperature drops.
Landscape and Yard work - Although grass appears to stop growing in the fall the roots are actually growing deeper to prepare for winter. Now is the best time to fertilize and reseed your lawn. Prune your trees and shrubs after the leaves turn to encourage healthy growth. Trim any tree limbs that are dangerously close to power lines or the roof of your house .Heavy snow and ice can cause damage in the winter.