Pumpkin spice, local apples, warm sweaters and squash soup are some of my favorite things about fall! I love hiking under the canopy of trees in full colour and how it sounds like you’re walking on corn flakes as your feet crunch on the fallen leaves.
I wanted to provide a helpful guide for home maintenance in fall to prepare for the winter months ahead. Unfortunately it doesn’t involve warm autumn drinks or soup.
1. Prune
Make sure trees and shrubs are cut back away from the home. Also cut back perennials and clean out the garden beds. Most of the shrubs and flowers will have stopped blooming so it won’t hurt the curb appeal of your home.
2. Cut the lawn shorter.
You want to cut the lawn extra short because it is easier to rake the leaves this way.
3. Clean the gutters
After the last of the leaves have fallen, clean the gutters. You want to make sure that your eavestroughs are clean and clear to allow the snow and rain to drain. You will also want to make sure the down spouts are pointed away from the home.
4. Exterior repaint/repair
You can’t paint outside when it is below 5 degrees Celsius so any exterior surfaces that need to be painted will need to be done before the temperature drops. Depending on the exterior material of your home, you might also need to patch or silicone around the windows before the winter arrives.
5. Set rodent traps
Mice, rats and squirrels look for a nice place to spend the winter just like you and I do. Setting traps around the outside of your home will help prevent them from trying to winter at your home. You can seal up cracks or gaps with steel wool. You might be thinking this city doesn’t have rodents, but unfortunately all cities in Ontario do. You should do your best to be proactive and protect your home from them.
6. Stock up
Buy a couple bags of salt. Finding Salt in midwinter can be tricky. Most stores actually run out of it. If you buy it early in the fall, you will have no problem finding some. If you have a wood burning fireplace in your home, stock up your wood pile. It’s much more enjoyable to split and stack the wood at this time of year without that gusty winter wind ice and snow.
Hope you enjoyed this little list of things to do as the seasons change. Don’t forget to warm up after your maintenance chores with a hot cup of your favourite fall beverage.
Jonathan