Oh, how I love the cooler weather! I look forward to it every year, and can’t wait to nestle in on a rainy day with soups in the slow cooker and wine by the fireplace. It’s seriously my idea of bliss. : ) But, with the cooler wet weather comes a whole new set of things to think about with regard to home maintenance. So, jump in and get these chores out of the way now! A little preparation ahead of time, and you’ll be sitting by the fire too, with peace of mind that your house is ready.
- Dump the Standing Water ~ The rainy season is on its way, so if you have open containers on your property such as flower pots or bird baths, they’re going to fill up. Do you like slimy, green algae? I’m thinking the answer is NO. Keep it from forming by either storing them away, or just do what I do, and turn them upside down!
- Adjust the Sprinklers ~ Save water (and money!) by changing your sprinkler timers. Either reduce the number of days you’re watering, or the amount of time set for each station. By the time winter comes, you should be able to turn them off completely! This is also a good time to check each sprinkler head and make adjustments on the spray patterns. This guy’s watering the street as well as his lawn. : /
- Clear the Clutter ~ There’s nothing that annoys me more than pests and rodents around my house. Rats lurking in the shrubs? Eeekk! Extra clutter around the perimeter of your home is the perfect hiding place to escape the colder weather, so get these areas tidied up now. Trimming shrubs up away from the ground will strongly discourage rodents from camping out on your property. Tip: If you have ivy on your property, you might as well put out a welcome mat! I know this from personal experience, and I was not a happy homeowner!
- Seal the Gaps ~ Bats in your belfry? Well, maybe not, but you can sure have rats in your attic! They LOVE to set up house in the insulation, and I’ve had my own personal war with these little vermin. Trust me – if you get ONE, you’ll have a whole family before you know it. When I Googled images of rats in the attic there was some pretty nasty stuff, but I opted for this pic, since it’s normally not a good idea to gross out your readers. But, this guy’s looking at YOU, and letting you know he’s got your address! : )
Walk the perimeter of your home and look for openings that would allow them access, and get them sealed up. Even a quarter-sized opening is large enough for a rat to squeeze through! Insulating spray foam sealant works great, and is available at any hardware or home improvement store, in a variety of brands.
- Furnace Filter Check ~ Though your filters should be checked more than once per year, it helps to use Fall as a reminder for this basic maintenance. Your furnace is the blower unit for both your heating AND air conditioning, so it’s been cranking away all summer long! Change the filter often for maximum performance and energy efficiency.
I hope you found these tips helpful, and I know there are many other ways to prepare for Fall. If you want to think ahead to even colder weather, I’ve got some tips on this previous blog post too. I’d love to hear your comments and ideas!
~ Kathy
Everyone deserves a home they love ~ Inside and Out!
Great tips, Kathy! If you don’t mind, I’m going to repost this and introduce you in the next day or two on my blog – http://www.loansbyireneblog.com – since it’s right in line with my industry too.
Thank you for sharing such valuable and important information!
Thanks, Irene! I really appreciate your comments, and of course, would love for you to share my blog with your readers! Tomorrow I’ll blog about flooring; something every new homeowner has questions about. : )
Ah! Rats! It is so important to seal your home, we just did that and now I can sleep at night! Great tips!
Kathy, what great ideas to get us going to a “feet-up-in-front-of-the-fire” position! My personal favorite position (along with a cup of hot tea) in the winter. The information about the vermin prevention was all new and much appreciated. I am grateful about the picture choice! I am putting the filters on the Honey Do List.
Thanks for the reminder of all the work we need to do around the house. As if I don’t have enough to do on the inside!! 🙂
What great tips, Kathy!
For anybody out there who still has a fireplace or wood-burning stove, cleaning the flue should be added to the list (alongside checking the furnace filters!).
And what a good idea to get all these projects out of the way before “sitting by the fire” (or just about anything else) sounds like a *much* nicer activity than pest-prevention.
A nice glass of wine by the fire is also my idea of bliss and knowing the house is secure really adds to the pleasure 🙂 Since our home opens up to a canyon we had frequent unwanted vermins. We know about those personal wars on whos house is this anyway?? Now with the help of a monthly pest control service who also checks for foundation gaps it’s never a problem. Enjoy your glass of wine and the cool weather! 🙂
Anytime the season changes, certain jobs have to be done. Sprinklers that are older may be harder to adjust. If some of your equipment is getting along in years, you might consider purchasing some new parts.
Nice ideas Kathy….. 🙂 Simple tips….. But nobody takes care of them. If everybody follow this tips, can avoid many health problems in rainy season.
http://www.leisurehomes.co.in/
Thanks, Lara! I appreciate your comments on this post (and the flooring post) and I’m glad you found them informative. Your home designs are fantastic. : )