Now that fall is here, it’s time to prepare your home for the changing of the seasons. While the fall season might not be as hard on your average California property as the spring or winter, we still recommend going over this helpful maintenance checklist to prevent damage to your home. A home warranty in California can cover most of what can go wrong, but it’s still best to avoid the worst of it if you can. With that being said, here are some things that every homeowner should be doing at the beginning of the fall.
Fall Home Maintenance Tips from the Best Home Warranty Company in California
Clean Your Gutters
Your gutters keep water from pooling on your roof and around your home’s foundation, so you want to keep them clear of leaves and debris. Naturally, they tend to become clogged once the leaves start falling from the trees, so you will need to keep them clear. Clean them out regularly, and cover them with wire mesh to keep debris out as much as you can.
Seal Air Leaks
You might not have noticed when the weather was warmer, but your home likely has some air leaks that will make everything feel cold and cause your heating bill to go up during the fall. These leaks can usually be found around windows and doors that don’t completely close properly. You might also find air leaking out of tiny cracks in your foundation. In any event, these leaks need to be sealed up before the weather really starts to get cold outside. New weatherstripping will help seal up leaks around windows, while repairing damaged caulk will take care of cracks and other leaks. If you still suspect that you have air leaks in your home either because you feel a draft or your heating bill is higher than it should be, you can always hire a professional to sweep your home and identify areas where you are losing heat.
Inspect Your Roof
This is most likely a job that is best left to a professional, but you should have your roof inspected at the beginning of the fall. Look for damage to your gutters, missing shingles, and any other signs that your roof may need to be repaired. Take care of any issues as soon as possible before the weather makes it too difficult to do so.
Protect Your Pipes
If you have any exposed plumbing in your basement or garage, you’ll need to take extra measures to keep them from freezing. This is often as simple as covering them with a sleeve of insulation, but you’ll also need to shut off any faucets that go outside your home. Frozen pipes can do a lot of damage to your home, so be sure to take care of this if you’re in for an especially cold winter.
Service Your Furnace
Your HVAC system should be serviced at the beginning of the fall and the beginning of the spring. If you haven’t scheduled a maintenance call with a local HVAC company, do so before the main heating season begins. While you’re at it, replace your furnace filter if you haven’t done so in the last month. You will need it more once it starts getting colder.
These are the most important issues you’ll need to address at the beginning of the fall. Every home is a little different, so be sure to look over your home to see if any repairs need to be made before the winter begins. The best home warranty in California will cover many of these repairs, but you still need to identify them and take care of them sooner rather than later.
The Best Home Warranty in California
If you have any questions about preparing your home for the winter or if you need to fill out a home warranty application for California, contact HomeGuard HomeWarranty today.
