Fall is already here! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get some essential chores done. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and winter arrives.
What fall chores should be on your to-do list? Read ahead to find out.
Clean Your Gutters
The first chore that should be on your to-do list is cleaning out the dead leaves, sticks and grime out of your gutters. Keeping your gutters clear helps them divert rainwater to your downspout and away from your home’s foundation. When they’re clogged, they’ll fill up with water. That water will spill against the side of the house, which could ruin the siding and cause a basement flood.
Check Your Roof
While you’re cleaning your gutters, you should take a closer look at your roof. Do you notice any missing shingles or loose flashing? You’ll want to fix that right away.
If you don’t have the savings to get your roof patched up, you should consider taking out an online loan to get it done. Search for loans that are available in your location. So, you should specifically look into online loans in Delaware if you live in Wilmington or Dover. You won’t have to waste your time filling an application for a loan that you can’t even access in your state.
Don’t wait to make this repair. Otherwise, melted ice and snow could find their way through your roof during the winter.
Winterize Your Pipes
When the weather gets really cold, your indoor plumbing can freeze. Having frozen pipes is really inconvenient since you can’t run the water to cook, clean or drink until they thaw. Frozen pipes can also burst open and cause irreparable water damage.
So, you should add foam insulation over your exposed water supply pipes so that they don’t freeze when the temperatures outside drop. It’s a cheap and easy chore that will save you from a very expensive disaster.
Clean Your Chimney
Do you have a fireplace? Are you hoping to throw some logs into it and start a crackling fire once the weather gets cold? Then you need to add cleaning your chimney to your to-do list.
You should clean your chimney once a year. Otherwise, it could have too much creosote build-up, which can cause a house fire.
Sweeping a chimney on your own can be a challenge. You’re better off hiring a professional to inspect it and sweep it for you.
Change Your Batteries
Changing the batteries in your smoke detectors is an incredibly easy chore that you don’t want to skip. Why is that? According to findings from the American Red Cross, house fires are more likely to happen during the fall and winter. This is likely because more fire hazards are present during these seasons, like burning candles, space heaters and working fireplaces. You will want your smoke detectors to be fully powered.
This is also the perfect opportunity to change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning also increases in the fall and winter months because people run their gas furnaces or heaters with no ventilation. You’ll want your detector to warn you of the problem immediately.
Cross these fall chores off your to-do list right away. You’ll be thankful you got them done when the weather gets colder.
