Home Inspector: Top 5 Tips for Fall Home Maintenance
Performing professional home inspections for over 23 years has taught our NYS Licensed Home Inspectors a thing or two about proper maintenance around your home. With each season, a new set of chores demands our attention to keep us comfortable and safe in our homes.
Well, it’s that time of year again, the seasons are changing and so is the weather. Cooler days and nights will soon give way to a down right cold and blustery winter.
Tackling these few items will certainly go a long way in protecting you and your home during the coming months.
- Check your roof, gutters and downspouts. Be sure to look for any accumulated debris or conditions that would otherwise restrict drainage of water from the roof and away from the home. Look for damaged areas as well. Repair and correct as necessary.
- Prepare your Fireplace or wood stove. Be sure to clean ashes and other debris from the firebox and ensure dampers are working. Check to ensure the flue is free and clear to allow smoke and Carbon Monoxide to exhaust outside. Have the fireplace or wood stove professionally cleaned and inspected by a qualified chimney sweep.
- Check windows and doors for drafts. Check around all exterior openings and ensure all drafts are adequately sealed. A ¼ inch gap around an exterior door is equivalent to a basketball sized hole in the wall to the outside so no gap is too small to seal.
- Clean and store/cover outdoor furniture. Protect your investment in your outdoor furniture and clean it before storing it for the winter. If you cannot store it indoors, consider covering it with a tarp or furniture cover made to fit to provide protection against the harsh winter weather.
- Install Carbon Monoxide detectors. Install high quality CO detectors in every bedroom and common areas of your home.
BONUS TIP: Have your heating system professionally cleaned and serviced.
Accomplishing these simple tasks will help to fortify and prepare our homes for the harsh weather winter can bring. There are certainly more chores to tackle during the next several weeks and this list is a great starting point.