With cooler weather just around the bend, it’s prime time for a lineup of fall home maintenance tasks you should dutifully perform every year. As a leading Buffalo and Rochester area home inspection company, we’ve seen the big difference these relatively simple tasks can make when it comes to preventing winter damage and costly repairs.
Roof and Gutters
Your Buffalo area home’s most important defense against the winter is right over your head. Inspect your roof for loose, curled or missing shingles as well as damage to metal flashings around chimneys and vents. Repair before the ice, sleet, snow and freezing temperatures set in to avoid interior deterioration of everything your roof is protecting.
Fall home maintenance definitely includes gutter and downspout cleaning, preferably after the leaves have fallen. Flush the gutters and downspouts with water. Tighten loose brackets, and inspect the gutter and downspout joints for stability.
Exterior Foundation and Walls
Caulking and sealing any openings you find around your Buffalo and Rochester area home’s exterior is one of the least expensive yet most important fall home maintenance jobs. Examine areas around doors and windows, where wires and pipes enter the house and the perimeter of the foundation. Sealing up openings prevents heat from escaping and water from entering. Water can get into the crevices and freeze, leading to cracks and a buildup of mold.
Peeling paint is another issue you want to repair quickly, as it indicates the paint’s film is no longer protecting your home. Correct as needed to re-establish a protective barrier on your siding and other exterior areas.
Yard, Equipment and Water Sources
Raking up leaves and debris is a must before the winter hits the Western New York area, as is shutting off exterior water valves. Once the shut-off valves are closed, open the exterior faucets to drain any water left in the pipes. Water left inside pipes can freeze, expand and burst the pipes.
Drain the water from garden hoses and store them inside your basement or garage. Drain gasoline out of the lawn mower, chainsaw and other summer yard tools.
Make sure your snow equipment is ready for action, organizing and placing it where you can easily get to it once the flurries start to fall. This includes your snow blower, shovels and roof rakes.
Getting these basic fall home maintenance tasks under your belt gives you a great start for being ready for whatever Old Man Winter decides to throw our way. And in the Buffalo and Rochester area especially, that could be almost anything.