4 Fall Chores to Tackle Around Your Home This Season
Fall is beautiful here in North Carolina. The summer heat is gone, the leaves are changing, and the bitter winter winds haven’t quite arrived yet. As pretty as it is, it also means there are some extra chores and projects you need to do around your home. If you wait much longer, winter will be here and you’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it any sooner! After all, snow will arrive before you know it. Turn off football and put down that apple cider for an afternoon or two and get this list done:
#1 Replace your air filters. Let’s start off easy with the first one! You don’t even need to go outside. A lot of people pull sweaters from storage and get their snow shovels ready to prepare for cooler weather, but they forget one important thing: to change their air conditioner filters. A good rule of thumb is to replace your HVAC system’s filter about every three months. This doesn’t just boost the system’s performance and keep it operating efficiently, it also improves your home’s indoor air quality. You’ll be thankful you did this once the heat is turned on.
#2 Trim any tree branches away from your roof or other living areas. As stated above, the leaves are falling and the first snowfall is on it’s way. Now is the time to remove any nuisance branches. Any branches hanging over your roof, deck, garage, driveway, shed, or pool area should be trimmed right away. If weak and dying, these branches will snap and fall once snow and ice weigh them down. This could cause major damage to a structure, car, or person underneath!
#3 Replace your weather stripping. It is sad to say, but the temperature is about to drop- really drop! Replacing any exterior doors’ worn or damaged weatherstripping by giving them an airtight seal is a fantastic way to keep your heat in and the cold air out. Of course, this also serves to lower your electric bill as well. This project is really simple, even for someone who doesn’t handle a lot of DIY projects. Weatherstripping in newer doors fits neatly in a groove within the door casing. There’s no adhesive or mess, you simply pull out the old weatherstripping, then cut a new piece to length and insert it in the groove. If you have an older home without a groove in the door casing, you can retrofit your doors using rolls of self-adhesive foam weatherstripping.
#4 Gutter repair in Winston-Salem. Maintaining gutters is one of the most overlooked chores. All of those falling leaves have to go somewhere, and they don’t all land peacefully in your yard. Many get into your gutter system and cause a big clog. This is gross and potentially damaging. Once melted snow and ice add to the debris, you’ll have a major problem on your hands. This is particularly true if your gutters need Winston-Salem, NC gutter repair as it is. Take the time to get this fixed now so you aren’t left with a non-functioning gutter system pooling water around your home’ foundation.
Changing your air filters is easy enough, but some of these chores like trimming your branches and Winston-Salem, NC gutter repair are better left to professionals. Begin making phone calls now so you can get on their schedule soon.
