Tips for Fall Home Maintenance

11/9/2017 (Permalink)

From cluttered gutters to fire hazards, protect your home this fall by making sure your it’s ready to combat the changing weather and potential dangers.

Check All Safety Devices

In order to ensure safety inside your home, take a moment and check all of your safety devices, making sure the batteries are charged and that they work properly. For example, test all your smoke alarms inside your home. Make sure the batteries are working properly and are fully charged. In addition, make sure to replace used and expired fire extinguishers.

Fire Up the Furnace

Turn your heater on before the temperatures really plummet so you can ensure it works. Contact a technician to inspect that it’s operating properly if you suspect it needs servicing. Keep all flammable materials away from your furnace. This includes clothing, paint products, toxic materials, cardboard and more.

Inspect the Insulation

When your home allows in cold drafts, it forces your furnace to work harder in order to heat your house, resulting in higher energy bills. Keep the cold air out by improving the insulation in your attic and walls.

Give the Heater Some Space

Make sure you read the instructions to see if your space heater requires venting, and if it does, make sure it’s vented to the outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to keep your space heater away from clothing, bedding, drapery and furniture. Remember to shut them off if you leave the house and don’t leave them unattended if you have children or pets. More importantly, don’t use your space heater as a dryer for hats, gloves and other articles of clothing, as they can catch fire.

Fire Safety

Before you relight your fireplace, check your chimney to confirm it’s free of debris and has proper ventilation. Make sure the bricks, mortar and liner are in good condition. Lastly, use a fireplace screen to keep the sparks from flying all over the place.

Doing laundry? Prevent dryer fires by cleaning filters after each load of wash and removing lint that collects in dryer vents. Like burning candles, never leave a load of laundry in the dryer unattended.

De-clutter the Gutters

Clean your gutters by removing all debris and leaves. Before burning leaves, check your city’s regulations, as it may be illegal where you live.  If you burn them, do so away from the house and use proper containers.

Trim the Trees

As plants begin to die in the cold weather, make sure you call a landscaping service to remove any dead branches or decaying limbs on the trees of your property. When weighed down by ice and snow, or blowing in the wind, they can become hazardous and fall on your house or vehicle.

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