Cool weather is here. Cold weather is on the way. Before it gets too cold, you might want to complete these tasks on the outside of your house.
- Paint, caulk and seal exterior wood around doors and windows. This will prevent the wood from rotting and eliminate the expense and pain of replacing it.
- Clean your gutters and downspouts. This is especially important if there are tree limbs handing over your roof. When the leaves fall, they can clog the gutters. When they back up, they overflow. This can harm both the exterior of your home and your foundation, possibly leading to flooding. So make sure the gutters and downspouts are clear so water can move smoothly
- Of course if that water then pools around the foundation of your home, that isn’t good. Check the drainage around your home to make sure water does not pool in the foundation. If you see low spots, fill them in with soil so the water can flow away.
- Shut down the pool and sprinkler system. For your sprinkler system, make sure the lines are blown out.
- Put away the hoses and drain the outside spigots. One sure way to make sure the spigots freeze is to keep the hoses on them (not good for the hoses either). Remove the hoses and store them in a dry space such as a garage or shed. Optimally, shut off the outside water valve and then let the water drain out the line.
- Put the lawn mower away and get the snowblower ready. Make sure the snowblower has been drained and get it tuned up if it hasn’t been for a few years. Make sure to try it out well before the first snow (in other words, before Halloween).
- Cover your patio furniture.
