Home maintenance tasks to tackle during Autumn.
Posted on 14th September 2023 at 10:14
As we transition out of the warmer months, it is important to prepare yourself and your home for the colder seasons ahead. While we prepare ourselves by pulling out our knitted jumpers and coats, prepare your home for autumn by doing some important maintenance jobs.
It would be ideal to leave autumn preparations at scattering your home with decorative pumpkins and autumnal wreaths, but there are some more important tasks that should be done before the temperature begins to drop.
Create a cleaning checklist.
We are all aware of spring cleaning, but having a good autumn tidy up will help you to get organised before the Christmas rush. There are many cleaning tasks to be done this autumn to prepare your home for the colder months.
Clean your gutters.
It’s easy to forget about your gutters. But now is a good time to check that they are not blocked or clogged before the rainy season of autumn. If your gutters are clogged, this could become a problem as you may end up with both interior and exterior water damage in your home. Once the leaves begin to fall, make sure to empty and clean your gutters and drain pipes to ensure that water can flow easily to your drains.
If you’re tackling this task yourself, make sure you have a sturdy ladder and wear protective gloves. Keep some buckets or tarp nearby to catch any debris you may find.
Clean up your garden.
This could be your last chance to tidy up your garden before winter. If you’re not an avid gardener, now is the time to plant those fresh bulbs ready for next spring and summer. Learning what to plant in the Autumn months can help you prepare your garden for new life in the summer.
Make sure you clean up and store away your garden furniture. Any cushions you leave outdoors may get damp and ruined by the bad weather. It is helpful to invest in some covers to shield your outdoor furniture and BBQ from leaves and rain, helping to prevent rust from forming.
Finally, after the leaves have fallen, make sure to clear the leaves and debris that have gathered around your homes external walls to prevent the risk of damp.
Make sure your home is energy efficient:
Check for drafts.
Did you know a large part of your heating could be escaping through leaks and drafts in your windows and doors? To avoid this heat escaping and keep your heating bills lower, make sure your check any gaps, cracks, and leaks around your home.
Begin by inspecting all your windows and door frames, noting any drafts around the edges. If any are found, there are a few things you can do to fix this issue. Firstly, you can invest in getting someone to fit a draft excluder. You can also hire someone to install weather stripping around the frame, helping to keep the cold air out and warm air in.
People with old glass or conservatory roofs might also experience this, so it is a good idea to also check these and consider if you may need a conservatory roof replacement if this is the case.
Inspect your roof:
A leaking roof can become an irritating problem for homeowners, leading to potential costly structural issues. Inspecting your roof, checking for any loose or missing tiles, can help to prevent these problems.
Meanwhile on the inside, it’s important to check your insulation and look for any leaks. Adequate insulation in your loft helps to regulate indoor temperatures and energy efficiency. An inspection during autumn can reveal any insulation issues, such as damaged or missing insulation, that need attention before we enter the winter months.
Fix any cracks in your driveway or walk ways.
Making sure that any cracks in cement or wood are filled correctly can save your home from worse damage in the long term. During the winter, any water that freezes in these cracks can expand. This causes the cracks to get bigger, causing a potential health and safety hazard.
Autumn home maintenance is important to make sure that your property is in the best condition possible for enduring snow, rain, and frost this winter. Neglecting these tasks may cause you to find yourself needing to repair more serious damage in the colder months.
If you are a homeowner in need of home improvement services, contact Alternative Roof Solutions for a free no–obligation quote today.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us at 01604 947 146.
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