Homeowners know the importance of fall home maintenance jobs, and yet, some years, the fall blows past. One day you’re first noticing the leaves change colour, and the next day, Halloween has passed, and holiday toys and decorations start popping up everywhere.
If you haven’t gotten around to doing your annual maintenance to ensure your home is in good shape for winter, you might convince yourself that it’s too late or that you can probably get by without doing it for one year.
But there’s still plenty of time to get your fall maintenance done, and putting it off isn’t a good idea. Sure, you could get to the other side of winter without any significant damage to your house, but is it worth the risk? A little time now will pay off in spades, as you can repair anything that needs repairing now, plus doing a little preventative maintenance in other areas will help keep things running smoothly. Read on to find out the most important tasks for fall maintenance that you should take the time to get done before winter settles in.
Inspect Your Roof
A professional inspection of your roof is essential. Roofs see the worst of winter weather, and yet too often, homeowners choose to skip this task due to the cost or time involved. However, if your roof does need some repairs or maintenance, it’s better to find out during an inspection in the fall rather than in the middle of winter after any issues have been able to grow into big problems.
While some opt to conduct an inspection themselves, this isn’t really a replacement for a professional inspection. During an inspection, a roofer will get a close look at your roof, not just the obvious things like shingles, but the flashing, sealant and more.
Experienced roofers like those at Professional Roofers in Toronto will be able to identify things that an untrained eye won’t notice. If you do find yourself with water damage, it’s best to get a professional to fix it before it can grow into a catastrophic problem, something that could happen a lot faster in winter weather conditions.
Seal Leaks
Air leaks not only result in heat loss, making your heating system work harder to less effect, but they also make your home downright uncomfortable. Inspect your windows and doors for any cracks or signs of damage, and check if previous weatherstripping and caulking are still intact. Seal up any cracks with caulking and replace damaged weatherstripping and caulking.
Pipe Protection
Water damage is often significant and costly to repair, so it’s important to make sure you don’t find yourself with a burst pipe. Unheated areas of your home can cause pipes to freeze, so take some time to attend to pipes in these areas.
Use pipe insulation around any pipes that are exposed in unheated areas like attics, basements and garages. This small job can prevent a lot of headaches for you down the road.
Take the time to do fall maintenance now to give yourself peace of mind going into winter.