Fall Maintenance: Tips for Preparing Your Home This Season

Break out the Pumpkin everything, because fall in New England has arrived. From pumpkin patches to hayrides to fall foliage, there’s no place we’d rather be when the season turns. So sit back, take a sip of your pumpkin spice beverage and start making your plan for fall home maintenance.

“But it’s only September, it’s too early to worry about this stuff,” you might be thinking. That’s not always true. Preparing your home for the strong New England winter can be a year-round job. Follow these four tips to ensure that your home is winter-ready.

Prevent Frozen Pipes

When water dips below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it freezes and expands. So if the water in your plumbing freezes, you run the risk of the pipes expanding and bursting, which could cause flooding. In order to prevent this from happening in your home, you need to winterize your pipes before the temperature drops.

The key to preventing frozen pipes is maintaining proper insulation. Check unheated or poorly insulated areas of your home where water pipes are located, such as your attic, basement, garage, and within cabinets that contain plumbing. Use products like heat tape or pipe sleeves to insulate water pipes. Both hot and cold water pipes need to be insulated.

Seal Windows and Doors

You may love the crisp Autumn air, but a high heating bill can make anyone shiver. Preventing heat from escaping your house can bring down your heating costs tremendously. Be sure to carefully check for cracks in your windows and doors and seal them with weather stripping or caulking to keep the cold outdoors.

Clean Your Gutters

We all love that gorgeous New England foliage … until the leaves fall onto your roof and into your gutters. Make sure to clean out your gutters regularly. When the gutters get clogged, they are unable to fulfill their purpose of collecting water off your roof and moving it away from your house. The water from rainfall will then pour down the sides of your house and could damage the siding and foundation. Damage can also occur when the water and leaves freeze inside your gutter, which can damage the gutter and cause leaks in your roof.

Have Your Chimney and Fireplace Inspected

When it comes to your chimney, leave it to the professionals. Call a professional to inspect and clean your chimney. You should always be sure to have your fireplace cleaned annually to prevent dangerous chimney fires.

Starting the process of winterizing your home is no simple task, but it can prevent many headaches as the air gets colder. Many different fall home maintenance projects should be on your list every year around this time.

If you have any additional questions about what your home insurance covers when it comes to fall and winter damages, reach out to your local Cushman Insurance agent: https://bit.ly/2QjAFjZ