The warm glow from the campfire, cheers at a football game, pumpkin spice scented candles and drinks, children back at school – these are some of everyone’s favorite parts of fall. Here in Steeler country, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the upcoming football season that consumes your Sundays and Monday nights. With the nights getting cooler and sweater weather steadily approaching, you don’t want to forget to prepare your home for fall, because before you know it, it will be here and you’ll be left missing out on Friday night football games or missing your child’s soccer game to clean the gutters and honestly, who wants to do that?
Although there is an endless list of possible tasks that should be done before fall arrives, there are a few that can wait until at least October. Before fall arrives make sure you get the top five fall maintenance tasks completed.
Gutters – Your gutters should not wait until October. The leaves on the trees have already begun to change color and before no time, they’ll begin to fall. After all the rain we had this summer, your gutters are bound to be full of pine needles, leaves, twigs and any other debris that has managed to make its way in there. The leaves will only continue to fill your gutter and with some rainfall, will eventually clog your downspout.
Roof – On a nice dry afternoon or evening, get above eye level and inspect the roof. Often, a big problem can lie just above your head. Inspect your roof and make any necessary repairs. Should you have a major problem with your roof, you want to have plenty of time to have a professional make repairs before winter arrives.
Pool – Close and winterize your pool. Ensure that the pool has been properly cleaned, drained and permanently covered for the season. Waiting until October will leave the risk of a more difficult cleaning job and hours spent outside in the brisk cold.
Winterize A/C – With the temperature at night continuing to steadily drop, you’re using your air conditioning less and less. Before fall, turn off, clean and winterize your air conditioning unit for the season. If you use a window A/C unit to keep your home cool, clean or replace the filter and pack it gently away in storage for the fall and winter season.
Heating Unit Tune-Up – You may have noticed that the heat in your home has already kicked on once or twice. The season of heating your home is about to begin and you want to make sure your heating unit is clean, inspected and ready to go. Call in a professional to inspect your unit and to have any kinks worked out before you turn your unit on for the season.
