If your property has trees, have it inspected by a certified arborist, who can check for signs of disease or dead branches and detect problems before they worsen and kill a tree. The untrained eye could miss signs of damage, and a dead or dying tree poses a safety hazard to you, your home and neighboring properties. Even if you don't use the fireplace regularly, the chimney still needs a regular check. A chimney transports hazardous gases from the chimney, wood stove, or oven out of the house, helping to keep indoor air breathable.
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, your chimney should be inspected annually and cleaned periodically depending on how often you use it. Once the leaves fall, call your gutter company to clean and inspect them. Any repairs that need to be made to gutters or downspouts must be done before winter arrives. Your workers should also inspect the roof for loose or broken shingles.
Schedule work before heavy snow, which could leave leaves and debris frozen in gutters, faucets and hoses. Before the first freeze, drain and turn off the outdoor faucets so they don't freeze. Roll up your hoses and store them for the winter. Maintain your oven and its ducts.
A clean system will be more energy efficient and an inspection will alert you to problems. Check and replace air filters, as needed. Test the thermostat to make sure it works properly. Make sure that the heating vents are open and that nothing is blocking them.
If you didn't clean or inspect your chimney in spring, call a chimney sweep now and do it before you start using the chimney or oven. Clothes dryers cause 2,900 fires a year, and many fires occur in the fall and winter, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Lint is a major culprit, so have your dryer vent inspected and cleaned annually by an HVAC specialist who specializes in dryer ducts or vents.
All-metal plumbing vents present two opportunities for leaks: first, when the cover comes into contact with the roof, and second, when the vent tube meets the cover. When the latter situation occurs, caulking and similar solutions will turn out to be only temporary cures. You will have to replace the joint cover, either with a version with a rubber cover or with a two-piece telescopic one. Here's how to replace the vent cover.
Whether you're pressure washing the house, deck, walkways, or front porch, this is a job that's best done in hot weather, making it a perfect summer project. And with the sun setting, you won't mind too much if you get a little wet. It's not anyone's favorite hobby, but cleaning gutters is an important maintenance task. Cleaning gutters should be part of your spring and fall checklist, but it's also wise to clean them before a severe summer storm hits to remove any obstructions that may have built up.
The grill really works out in the warmer months, with quick meals Monday through Friday, outdoor meals and all the outdoor entertainment that summer offers. Take the opportunity to thoroughly clean the grill from top to bottom at the beginning of the season and be careful that old grease is not burned and food waste is removed. Metal roofing is a great investment. These systems can last 40 to 60 years, two or three times longer than asphalt shingle roofs.
Metal roofs protect against fire and inclement weather, and reflect sunlight to reduce cooling costs in summer and insulate in winter. And you don't have to limit yourself to traditional metallic tones, as metal ceilings come in a wide range of styles and colors. Wood decking can chip, warp and rot, so consider composite decking, a low-maintenance and long-life alternative. You'll never have to stain, paint, or sand a composite deck, giving you more time to enjoy your outdoor space.
An added benefit: composite covers are made from waste sawdust and used plastic, so they are also good for the environment. When choosing a siding material to coat your home, you'll discover that vinyl siding is a low-cost, low-maintenance substitute for traditional wood. The synthetic material does not require any finishing, making it ideal for large multi-storey houses where painting would be a big problem. It's also impervious to insects and water, further reducing the likelihood that you'll need to replace it.
And the first step to good home maintenance is to inspect your home, so here's a simple checklist for outdoor maintenance of your home and patio. With a few maintenance tips, you can keep the exterior of your home looking like new and be prepared for the colder seasons. . .
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