Autumn Preparation for Winter Protection

The weather may seem nice right now, but winter is coming. Properly preparing your house in autumn can help prevent costly damage from rain, ice and snow. Here are some tips on how to save some money as you ready your residence for the cold weather.

• Clear Your Gutters – Clogged gutters can cause water to pool on your roof and cracked downspouts can lead to damaged foundations and flooding basements. Before the wet weather arrives, remove leaves and other debris from your gutters. Test the flow of water with a hose. Look for cracks or breaks and repair where needed.
• Protect Your Pipes – Turn off your sprinklers, open the valves, and drain the pipes—this will help prevent them bursting due to expanding ice. Unhook your hoses and store them in a garage or shed to extend their lives and shut off all outdoor plumbing.
• Check Your Roof – It’s much easier to inspect your roof when it’s not slick with rain. Fix for any raised or damaged shingles. Plus, while you’re up there, you could even hang your Christmas lights, so you don’t have to do it in the snow—just don’t turn them on until after Thanksgiving.
• Inspect Your Heater – Furnace filters are easy to change, but you should also have a specialist inspect your HVAC system and make sure the ducts are clear. Make sure the vents aren’t blocked. If you have a fireplace, you should clear ashes and debris out, then have a professional clean the chimney.
• Do a Safety Check – Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Change the batteries if necessary. Additionally, check your fire extinguishers and make an emergency escape plan with your family.
• Test for Drafts – Your heaters won’t be very effective if all the warm air is seeping out of your home. Check for drafts by putting your hand near the edges of windows and doors. Use weather stripping or caulk to stop cold air from entering your house.
• Strengthen Your Lawn – Mow your grass one last time in autumn, and don’t forget to empty the gas tank of the mower before storing it. Fertilize your lawn before the first frost for a healthier yard when the spring thaw comes. This will strengthen the roots to resist the lower temperatures and help your yard green up faster in the spring.
• Prep Your Garden – Clear weeds out. Plant bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils and irises in the autumn for a beautiful start to spring. Inspect trees on your property for weak or damaged branches that could break if weighed down by snow. Bring your more delicate plants inside.
• Stock Up on Supplies – Put an ice scraper in your car. Buy some ice melt. Check your snow shovels and your snow blower. It may seem too early for all this, but you’ll be thankful when that first snow starts to fall.