Thanks for checking in for Part Two of our Top 10 Fall Maintenance Tips. We’re specialists in parging and stucco exterior finishes for homes in Edmonton, Alberta but we have also picked up a few tricks along the way for general home maintenance. Don’t forget to check out Part One for a complete checklist of what you should do around the house to get ready for the winter ahead. It will be here before you know it!
Without further ado, here is the second half of our Top 10 list of fall maintenance tips for your home:
6. Service the Furnace
If your furnace is going to pick a day to up and quit, you can bet a tidy sum that it will be on the coldest day of the year. To avoid a brush with Murphy’s Law, schedule an appointment now with a qualified HVAC contractor to give your furnace a once-over. While we’re on the subject of the temperature inside, don’t forget to put the cover on the air conditioner before it gets full of falling leaves.
7. Turn off the Water
To prevent the joy of a burst pipe, turn off the water to the pipes outside and leave them open until they are completely drained. Don’t get impatient with this one, you really want to make sure ALL of the water is out of the pipes.
8. Seal the Windows
Yes, we already said that one, but redoing the caulking around windows is the cheapest, easiest way to lower your home heating costs. It’s also one of the easiest repairs you can do yourself. Caulking is a remarkably forgiving material. If you don’t get it right the first time or you end up with a big, ugly glob, just wipe it off with a damp cloth and try again.
9. Clean the Chimney
If you have a wood burning fireplace in your house, we’re very jealous. Just know that if your chimney hasn’t been cleaned since last year, it’s probably full of creosote, aka a serious fire hazard. Make sure you have it cleaned before you start cozying up in front of the fire when the wind is howling outside.
10. Change the Smoke Detector Batteries
New smoke detectors are hardwired into the electrical system, so people get a little lax about changing the batteries. Here’s a fun fact: A lot of house fires start in the electrical system, thereby disabling your early warning system. It’s a pain to climb up on the ladder, but a really high number of household fires with tragic endings could have been prevented with a new battery. Besides, if the battery does run low, you can be pretty sure the smoke detector will start beeping about it in the middle of the night.
There you go, our Top 10 Fall Maintenance Tips for your home. Sorry about the lengthy to do list we’ve just given you, but you’ll thank us when you don’t have to nail a tarp to your roof when it’s -30C. Don’t forget to check out Part One!
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