As fall moves into Ontario, CA, ‘tis the season for homeowners to get ready for the months ahead. A change in temperature means a change in conditions that will impact your home.
Engaging in a little fall DIY inside and outside your home will go far to protect your home and to reduce your overall operating costs as a homeowner this season.
Curious on what to do to get started? Here are our suggestions:
Schedule Your Fall Tune-Up
If you aren’t already in the habit of seasonal maintenance for your comfort systems, now is the time to start. Not only do you get the benefit of energy efficiency because your system is in tip-top shape, you also get the benefit of peace of mind, because you know that you can count on your furnace all season long.
During a tune-up, the technician will inspect and clean all the components of your heating system. This is helpful because it lets you identify any small problems before they become larger, more expensive situations.
Take Care of the Outdoors
If you’ve got a lot of trees on your property, raking all those leaves can be a pain, but it needs to be done. Leaving your lawn with a thick layer of leaves can actually cause it harm over the winter months.
Also, inspect tree branches for damage and trim back any that might potentially cause a threat to your home during a winter storm. Remove screens from your windows and replace with storm doors.
Replace outdoor light bulbs as needed. Look for cracks in your walkway and foundation and seal them in. Those cracks are the perfect spot for rodents and other creatures to nest in during the cooler weather.
Clean the eavestroughs and inspect your roof for leaks or loose tiles. The winter can be harsh on your roof, so you should take care of any damage before the colder weather kicks in.
Take Care of the Indoors
Do you have a fireplace? Chances are that you’ll use it more during the fall and winter. If you have a chimney, look up and see if there are any rodent nests or other damage. Make sure that that flue closes tightly.
For gas fireplaces, make sure that the pilot light is ignited (people usually turn it off for the summer). From a safety standpoint, test your smoke and CO2 alarms. Double check that you’ve got a working fire extinguisher on every floor. Double check the expiry date stamped on the unit.
Reverse direction on your ceiling fans. This will help redistribute the hot air as it rises, which is a great energy efficient trick to give your furnace a break.