It can be hard to remember everything you have to do when trying to prepare your home for fall and winter. We know – there’s a lot! That’s why we created a no-frills fall home checklist to help you keep track of what you need to do to prepare your home for fall and winter. It’s easy to do, and can even be fun with the right attitude!
Yes, we mean raking the leaves. We know it’s a chore, but make it a game with your kids and it can be a fun fall activity for your whole family to enjoy! Jumping into a pile of leaves over and over again is worth having to clean it up over and over again. Yard work also includes tending to your trees and shrubs. Any dead or dying branches can become a hazard in the winter. Remove what you can safely, and then call a professional to handle the bigger and hard to reach branches.
Pool floats, sprinklers, and lawn chairs are great, but not very useful in the winter. That’s why we recommend having a place – such as your basement or garage – where you store your seasonal gear. When you put away your summer things, you can pull out your winter ones. This includes:
You’ll not only be prepared, but you’ll be able to take stock of what you need, and purchase it well in advance.
It’s important to turn off your outdoor water supply well before the temperatures start to freeze, and take to appropriate steps to winterize your faucet. We have an article and video that gives you step by step instructions on how to do it. This will help prevent any pipes connecting to it from freezing and bursting, which are much harder to fix.
There’s nothing like a good, all-around drain cleaning to prepare your home this fall. Your drains get used a lot, and they’ll get used even more over the holiday season if you have family or friends stopping by. It’ll also let you know whether there are any repairs that need to be made. Better to find them now than in the dead of winter. We also recommend preparing your sump pump for the spring. We know it doesn’t seem like it, but it’s closer than you think. This means that spring thaw, and flooding, is too. Make sure that your sump pump not only works, but that it’s in an easily accessible place where you can start it at a puddle’s notice.
One of the best ways to prepare your home for fall, and winter, is to do a long, thorough examination. You’ll most likely see a lot of things that need to be painted or replaced, but start with the things that need to be done before snow falls. This includes:
If you have a deck, test to make sure that it is still properly sealed against moisture. It’s going to spend roughly 4-5 months under snow, and it could absorb a lot of moisture.
It’s not just the outside that needs TLC in the fall. You should also do a thorough walk around of the inside of your home. You should look for any repairs that need to be handled before winter, especially if they’ll contribute to keeping your warm.
Fall is a great time to make sure that your fire alarm and carbon monoxide alarms have fresh batteries and are up to code. This should go hand in hand with fall preparations, especially since you’ll be starting to use your furnace soon. Tip: If you have a security system, it’s a good idea to test that as well. Adding it to your fall checklist will give you peace of mind that your entire home is ready for anything.
Speaking of furnaces, a fall home checklist isn’t complete without getting furnace maintenance in the fall. Your furnace uses gas to operate, meaning it should be given as much attention as other gas items – like your car. Your car gets serviced every few thousand kilometres, and your furnace should get serviced every fall. On top of that, you’ll have the assurance that your furnace is ready for the cold. Or you’ll catch any problems early enough to have them fixed.
When you take the time to prepare your home for fall and winter, from top to bottom, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as cold weather rolls in. Winter won’t stand a chance against you and your home.
While we don’t have much of a green thumb or know the best way to stack your lawn chairs, we can help check a few things off of your fall home checklist. Reach out to us, and we’ll provide you with all the plumbing services your need. Book an Appointment >
