As the weather becomes cooler, it’s time to prepare your home for winter storms, falling leaves, and pests that often seek warmer places when the temperature starts to drop. By following our seasonal maintenance tips and repairs, you can protect your home from damages, fluctuating temperatures, infestations, etc.
Exterior Maintenance Tips
- Inspect your roof and gutter. Make sure there are no missing shingles, the gutter has good drainage, and no damaged parts where water can collect or seep into the ceiling.
- Inspect your exterior wall. There should be no gaps and crevices where crawling insects and rodents can enter your home.
- Make sure that your window screens and door sweeper are intact.
- Stock up on firewood; ideally, you should store them away from the house to eliminate fire hazards and prevent attracting wintering insects.
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional.
- Turn off and drain your outdoor faucets and store hoses. If you live in an older home, you may need to turn off the valve to prevent your garden hoses from freezing and bursting.
- Trim shrubs and trees. Make sure that there are no damaged branches that may fall and damage your home. Additionally, cut back shrubs and bushes.
- Close your outdoor pool and jacuzzi.
- Prepare your landscape for next season. Remove the dead leaves in your yard and apply lawn fertilizer to prevent spring weeds and winter damage.
- Put away your outdoor/seasonal furniture.
Interior Maintenance Tips
- Fix drafty windows and doors. The idea is to prevent air leaks, which can spike your cooling cost and make your indoor temperature inconsistent. You can do these by applying foam tape, installing new door sweeps, re-caulking windows and doors, using weather strips, and hanging insulated curtains.
- Schedule your HVAC maintenance and tune-up. A good rule of thumb is to have your furnace inspected at least once a year, ideally during autumn. After all, you don’t want your heating system to die on you in the dead of winter. If you need HVAC services in NorCal, contact Sharpline Mechanical.
- Buy a programmable thermostat. If you already have one, make sure that you set it to a lower temperature at night and when you’re not at home.
- Change your air filters and stock up on extras.
- If you use humidifiers, make sure that they are clean.
Garage and Shed Maintenance Tips
- Reorganize your tool box and throw away anything that is broken and obsolete. Keep in mind that less clutter means less cleaning and less hazard.
- Inspect your concrete floor for any crevices and cracks. Small cracks can turn bigger due to changing seasons (and temperature fluctuations), so make sure that you repair them asap. If they are just minor fissures, there are plenty of DIY solutions you can do.
- Check your garage door and opener. Ensure that they create a tight seal to prevent pest invasions and winter damage.
- Test the generator. If you have one, make sure it is properly working.
- Store gasoline and other fuels correctly and safely. A good rule of thumb is to store them in tanks away from fire sources/hazards.
- Test your winter equipment such as snowblower, shovel, ice scraper, etc.
- Make sure that your garage’s ventilation system is working, allowing it to get rid of toxic fumes and carbon monoxide. You may also want to hire an HVAC professional who can inspect the indoor air quality in your garage and home.
To learn more about HVAC services to ensure comfortable home temperature and safe indoor air quality levels all year round, contact Sharpline Mechanical at 530-248-2131.
Sharpline Mechanical is the leading HVAC specialist in Northern California that provides full service, ranging from heating and cooling systems installation, repair, and maintenance to energy assessment to reduce your energy cost.
