How To DIY - Home Maintenance Tips - Fall & Winter

Before the weather gets too cold it’s important to prepare for the winter months to prevent costly damage to your home and property. Here are our best fall and winter preventative home maintenance tips that every homeowner should consider doing.

HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST:
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Let’s get started with the exterior. One of the most important tasks is to clear and clean out gutters and downspouts frequently throughout fall to prevent build up of leaves and other debris. Neglected gutters can lead to wood rot and pest infestations, not to mention gutters being pulled away from the facia and being ruined. Be sure water is not coming down behind gutters and that all support brackets and hardware are secured in place. Ensure that water drains properly and doesn’t pool. Pooling can cause damage to foundations, driveways, and sidewalks.

Next is your windows and doors. Start with changing summer screens to cool weather storm windows and doors. Inspect and repair any loose or damaged window or door frames. Install weather stripping or caulking to prevent drafts and to lower heating bills. Finally, scrape and re-paint any peeling or flaking door and window jambs.

Don’t forget your landscaping 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, aerate and reseed your lawn. Prune your trees and shrubs after the leaves have dropped to prevent any unwanted diseases. Trim any tree limbs that are dangerously close to power lines or the roof of your home. Heavy snow and ice on branches can cause damage in the winter.

To prevent pipes from freezing and bursting, ensure that your pipes are well insulated. Remove any hoses from all hose bibs on the exterior of your home. Drain garden hoses and store them in a garage or shed to prevent rot and deterioration. Winterize your sprinkler system and turn off your secondary water valve to prevent spring flooding. Know how to locate and turn off the main water shut-off valve in your home in case your pipes do freeze.

Now let’s head inside for a few interior tips. The workhorse during the winter is going to be your heating system so let’s start with replacing the filter in your furnace. Consider having a heating professional check and clean your heating system to ensure optimal performance and discover minor problems before they turn into costly repairs.

Clean the ducts to increase efficiency as well as to reduce household dust and to provide relief to those with respiratory problems. Most house fires happen during the winter months so the fall is always a good time to replace the batteries in your smokes detectors.

Be sure attic insulation doesn’t cover vents in the eaves to prevent winter ice dams on the roof. Be sure ridge vents, turtle vents and eave vents are free of plants and debris. Check bird and rodent screens in attic vents to prevent any unwanted guests.

Well there you have it! Those are our tips to keeping your home in top shape this winter. Don’t forget to download your free printable checklist to help you keep track of these important items. The checklist is at the top of the screen.

Targhee Child
Principal Broker | Pinpoint Real Estate
801-668-3609 | [email protected]

00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Gutters & Downspouts
00:59 - Water Drainage
01:05 - Windows & Doors
01:25 - Landscaping
01:52 - Frozen Pipes
02:40 - Furnace Filter
03:05 - Smoke Detectors
03:15 - Attic Insulation
03:30 - Conclusion

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Artist: http://audionautix.com/

DISCLAIMER & INFO: This video is only for informational and entertainment purposes. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or from the information in this video is the sole responsibility of the viewer and is to be used at the discretion of the end user/viewer and not Pinpoint My Home, Pinpoint Real Estate or Targhee Child. If you are uncertain about any step of the process or feel unsure about your skill level, seek professional advice. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.