As cooler days and longer nights set in, fall is the perfect season to prepare your home for the months ahead. Following a fall maintenance protocol can help ensure your home is ready to withstand colder temperatures, prevent costly repairs, and keep you comfortable all season long. Here’s a comprehensive guide, complete with a downloadable Fall & Winter Home Maintenance Checklist PDF to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

Benefits of Preventative Fall Home Maintenance

Therefore, to avoid the headaches and costs that come from home emergencies, it makes sense to perform preventative seasonal maintenance and enjoy the benefits of saving time and money, possibly mitigating insurance claims, and minimizing stress by preventing larger repairs down the road.

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Clogged and damaged gutters are a standout when it comes to home water damage. The effects are far-reaching, from your home’s foundation to mold growth, unwanted pests, and interior damage. Get your gutters and downspouts cleaned out and make sure they’re not crushed or cracked so they can remain open all winter long as leaves continue to fall.

• Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts to prevent clogs. These can cause back-ups and an overflow of water up against the walls and foundation, causing mold and water damage.
• Consider installing gutter guards if you live in an area with heavy foliage.
• Make sure downspouts direct water away from the foundation to avoid basement flooding.

• Blow out all the water using high-pressure air or have a professional HVAC contractor do this for you. Freezing expanding water could result in cracks that lead to a water disaster.

• Drain and disconnect outdoor hoses and shut off exterior faucets to prevent freezing and bursting.
• Drain and store garden hoses to protect them from the elements

• Look for loose, missing, or damaged shingles and replace them as needed.
• Examine flashings around chimneys, vents, and skylights to prevent leaks.
• If you spot major issues, consider hiring a professional to avoid further roof damage as snow and ice set in.

This is an often overlooked fall and winter preparation step as most of us live in homes with newer coding and less likelihood of exposed pipes. However, if you have added any while DIYing new plumbing in the garage or outdoor water sources, take a second glance at those pipes.

• Use insulation or temperature-regulating tape to protect pipes in unheated garages and those up against cold basement or outdoor walls.

• To find out if your plumbing is in good shape all the way to the street, schedule a drain cleaning to lessen the chance of a holiday emergency.

• Allow grass to grow around the system or spread leaves or straw over the drain field to retain snow. You can also purchase insulated blankets.

• Test your sump pump by dumping water into the pit until the pump activates. If the water nears the top without action, call your sump pump repair professional as soon as possible.

No matter how new or old your home is, settling happens, materials tend to shrink in the colder months, and gaps can appear. Here are a few tips to keep the heat in and the cold out, reducing heating costs and keeping indoor temperatures comfortable.

• Inspect window and door frames for gaps or drafts.
• Apply weather stripping or caulk to help insulate your home.
• Schedule bi-annual HVAC system inspections to avoid emergency service calls.
• Replace the air filters to improve airflow and system efficiency.
• If you have a wood burning fireplace, professionally clean the chimney to remove creosote buildup.

Printable Fall & Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Contact CMS Homes in Troy, MO, to Learn More

Autumn is well underway, and winter is knocking on the door, which brings a special set of challenges to our homes. But you can mitigate disaster with these easy preventative steps you can do now to avoid water damage and mold taking hold over the winter.

If you’ve experienced flooding or mounting home repairs, maybe it’s time to explore building a new home. Don’t let the fact that winter is around the corner stop you from taking steps to build your dream home. Building in the winter offers unique advantages. To learn more, contact CMS Homes in Troy, Missouri, today.