Winters can be hard on your home. Strong winds can damage trees, strip roof shingles, heavy rains can cause clogged gutters to overflow, overflowing gutterscan cause damage to your foundation or basement. Here are four very important things you can do to prepare your home, remember: “Winter is Coming.”
Either have a professional roofer come out and look at the condition of your roof or at the very least, do so yourself. High winds, heavy rains, large amounts of dead leaves, and other forms of debris can lead to damage to your roof. Not only can a damaged roof reduce the value of your home, it can also lead to even further damage to your home, requiring expensive repairs. Fall is the perfect time of year to have your roof inspected and any required repairs made.
Nothing can cause heating bills to go up in the winter like doors and windows that do not seal. Even walls can be the cause of air leaks. Many times, the leaks are big enough that you can feel the air blowing through them. But you can use a lit candle (be very careful) to check around windows, doors, wall outlets, light switches, where any plumbing or wiring comes through the walls and ceilings. The slightest air movement will cause the flame to flicker. Seal any leaks you find with caulking or weather stripping. You can buy pre-cut insulators for wall outlets and light switches, all of which go together to help keep out the cold this winter.
Fall is filledwith falling leaves that look wonderful on the lawn giving a glorious carpet of golds, oranges, and yellows. But, while they might look lovely on the lawn (at least until you have to rake them up), they are not good for your gutters. When the gutters are clogged, and the rainwater starts to back up, it has to go somewhere. That somewhere will be places like your soffits or inside of your walls and attic. Whether you clean the gutters out yourself or pay a professional to do the job for you, doing so could save your home from a lot of costly damage.
Although there are a few plants, whowait for the cooler weather to bloom, most die off at about this time of year. Thisis a great time to clean up your yard and get it ready for the “offseason.” Remove dead plants, bring the more delicate ones inside, and put away any outdoor furniture that is not likely to be used over the winter months. Keep the lawn clear of thick layers of leaves that can cause the grass underneath to die and put away your gardening and lawn care tools to keep them out of the weather.
It doesn’t take much to prepare a home for the winter months, but these are the things you or your tenants should be taking care of at this time of year.
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