Consumer Tips

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Company

November 30, 2020

Follow these fall maintenance tips from Kiplinger.com to prepare your home for cold weather.

1. Check your heating system
   Beating the rush now means you’ll be able to have a technician check out your furnace and thermostats before the crowds start calling on the first cold day. While you’re checking out your furnace, take the time to replace those furnace filters you bought at the hardware store at the start of the summer.
2. Reverse your ceiling fans
   If your fans have a reverse switch, now is a good time to change directions. Switching the air flow creates an updraft, sending the hot air from the ceiling down into the room. Result? You stay toastier.
3. Prevent ice dams
   If you’ve ever seen those telltale giant icicles hanging from the edge of your roof, you know that ice dams (and their potentially serious flooding) are forming in your home. To prevent these damaging shelf-like formations of ice, contact a contractor or home-energy expert to seal up any potential insulation issues in your attic before they can cause damage. Cleaning your gutters is another great way to keep ice dams at bay.
4. Install storm windows
   Keeping your home warm is so much easier when air isn’t stealthily escaping through gaps in older windows. If you can get your storm windows in before it gets really cold, you’ll be ahead of the game when the mercury falls. Caulking around windows and doors can also help keep the heat inside for you to enjoy.
5. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
   Fall is firmly upon us and winter is coming, so use that as a reminder to test your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector, and change the batteries. When the winter edges back into spring, test them and change the batteries once again.
6. Shut off outdoor water systems
   Disconnect all garden hoses, drain outside faucets, and if your faucets aren’t frost-proof (mainly a feature in newer homes) shut off your water using the valve inside your house. Similarly, if you have an outdoor sprinkler system, now is the time to have it drained by an irrigation company.
7. Drain all fuel-filled equipment
   Drain the gas tank of your mower and any other equipment that uses fuel, so that it can be stowed safely for several months…and so it will start up again when you need to do those first spring chores.
8. Stock up on winter products
   Stock up on ice melting pellets, antifreeze, and any other winter products you know you’ll need. It’s also a good time to buy a new shovel or snowblower, or contact a snowplow service to sign up, if you live in an area where heavy snow is the norm.
9. Inspect your fireplace
   If you have a fireplace, now is a great time to have it inspected and thoroughly cleaned, along with your chimney.

By the time the seasons change, you’ll be ready to relax with your favorite cozy holiday beverage, enjoying your snug and winterized home.

Learn more about Wells Fargo Home Mortgage