Fall Maintenance: 4 Chores to Protect Your Home

Although it might not feel like it at the moment, fall and cooler temperatures are on the horizon. Summer’s reach may seem to extend into September, but before we know it leaves will be begin to fall, the wind will start to pick up, and sweaters will become a necessity.

Before fall hits in full force, consider taking care of the following home maintenance items. These are simple chores that can go a long way in protecting your home and your family during the cooler months. Completing them now, while they are less of a hassle, as opposed to in the future when you may be faced with turbulent weather and other obstacles, is a smart move.

Gutters

It’s a good idea to clean your gutters or eaves every few months. Dirt and debris can easily accumulate in these spaces over time, preventing water from properly flowing through them. Gutters exist to collect precipitation and move it away from the home. When rain can’t move through your gutters it will spill over onto your roof, which can cause leaks and water damage. Long story short, cleaning your gutters regularly can save you a lot of money and frustration.

Image via Better Homes and Gardens

Cracks/Windows

If you don’t seal foundation and window frame cracks in your home you may notice autumn’s cooler temperatures sooner than your neighbors. Caulking cracks not only helps to keep warm air in and cold air out, it also helps protect your space from rodents looking for a winter home. Fall is the time when our furry frenemies start looking for places to survive the winter. Help make sure you aren’t unsuspectingly sharing your space by sealing cracks – or as rats/mice see them: entryways!

Image via Apartment Therapy

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors

We encourage readers to test their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms on almost every maintenance blog we write. Here’s why: it’s really important! These devices save lives, yet they are so easily overlooked. To help make sure they’re functioning properly they should be tested every month, and their batteries should be changed twice a year. 

Image via Bob Villa

Pro Tip: Change your smoke detector batters when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving’s time. It happens twice a year, and you’re already going around your home resetting the clocks – it’s the perfect time to get it done.

Organizing Storage

Seasonal changes are the perfect time to get some organizing done. As you put away your summer clothes and bring your jackets and boots out of storage, why not switch other storage items around? You can restructure your storage spaces to bring upcoming holiday decorations to a more accessible spot, and move summer stuff to the back. It’s also a great time to assess your stuff. What summer items did you use or wear this season? What stayed on the shelf? Get rid of unused or unwanted items while the memories are fresh, instead of during spring cleaning when you’re excited about the potential of using/wearing these things during the warmer weather.

Image via Brit + Co

Once your maintenance is complete, it’s time to update the inside of your home for fall. Get decor ideas and inspiration to help refresh your space at the Marketplace Events Home Show nearest you. Connect with us on Facebook to see what events are happening in your area and get exclusive ticket discounts. Happy Fall Y’all!

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Travel Tips: Keep Your Home Safe While You're Away

Taking a trip this summer? Whether you’re spending your vacation lounging on an exotic beach, hiking through the wilderness, or exploring a new city, there are two things we want you to know. One: we’re jealous, and two: be smart when it comes to securing your home while you’re away. The former should come as no surprise, but for many, the latter is not always considered as they prepare to fly the coop. If you’re planning on leaving your home unoccupied for several days we have a few tips for you to keep in mind. Check ‘em out below and help keep your home safe.

No News is Good News – Ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail. A stack of letters and newspapers on your front porch is a good indication that no one’s home, and the larger the stack the clearer it is that the house is unoccupied. Deter burglars by simply having your mail rerouted or picked up by someone you know.

There’s Such a Thing as TMI – If you’re going to be tweeting and gramming your vacation, make sure to be smart about how much information you share. It might seem harmless to post the following with friends and followers, “Off with the hubby & kids for a week! See you in 7 days #Cleveland! #JamaicaBound”, but even 140 characters can contain a lot of details - may as well add #EmptyHouse #SecurityCode4321. In all seriousness though, anyone reading that would know that your home would be empty for a whole week while you were out of the country, so please share responsibly (maybe even consider posting your pictures after you return).

Be Keen if things Get Extreme – Along with having someone collect your mail, ask a friend or neighbor to check in on your home if your area should get hit with any extreme weather. That way if a tree falls on your home it’ll receive timely attention instead of continuing to cause damage while you’re away.

Forgotten Food will go Rotten – Check your refrigerator before you leave and get rid of any items that will go bad while you’re away. There’s nothing worse than coming home to rotten food, trust us.

This yogurt parfait looks yummy now, but wait a week and you'll lose your appetite!

Leave the Lights on – Just as unopened mail can signal that a house is unoccupied, so can a lack of movement. Put some of your outdoor and indoor lights on timers to help feign life in your home while you’re gone. This simple automation is great for deterring unwanted guests.

These tips should help keep your home secure while you’re away, and make sure to check out the home maintenance items below to further protect your home. You should have taken care of these chores during your spring cleaning, but if you haven’t, finish them up before your trip.

• Gutters – Keep your gutters clear of dirt and debris so that water can move through them and away from your roof. If your gutters are in bad shape and there’s a torrential rainstorm while you’re away, you could encounter some water damage when you return.
• Downspouts – Make sure your downspouts extend at least 6 feet away from your home to direct water away from your basement and foundation. If they aren’t long enough water will discharge too close to your home, and in the case of severely rainy weather you could be looking at water damage.
• Caulking – Just as you want to deter burglars, it’s important to keep nature’s pests out. Caulking and sealing windows, doors, and foundational cracks will help keep water, rodents, and bugs out. This is a good whether you’re home or not!

There may be lots of some work involved in getting your home ready before a trip, but once you’re on vacation it’s all worth it. So if you’re travelling this summer we hope you have an awesome and safe adventure!

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Cleaning Your Gutters: Don’t Eave It To The Last Minute

What’s on your “To Do” list right now? If cleaning out your gutters or eaves isn’t on there, grab a pen! We know it’s a busy time of year and that this is not a glamorous task, but trust us you do not want to leave this chore to the last minute. It’s much easier to take care of now, before the temperature dips dramatically and the wind begins to whip. It’s not safe or fun to be on a ladder in the snow.

Image via This Old House

As much as we might try to deny it, winter is coming. It’s a harsh season on your home, and your roof feels the brunt of its effects. Heaps of snow, ice, and sleet have the potential to cause serious damage. Cleaning your gutters before winter is in full force can help to protect your roof and your property.

Over the course of the year dirt and debris will accumulate in your gutters. Without a regular cleaning this buildup can impact how well your gutters work. It acts as a barrier, limiting the amount of water that can pass through. Gutters exist to collect the water that falls from the sky and drips off your roof. It moves through the gutter, down the downspout, and away from your home. If any part of that process is disrupted it greatly increases the chance of water seeping into your home. When water can’t move through your gutter it will remain there until it overflows onto your roof. Should that happen, there is a much higher possibility of it deteriorating your shingles, permeating your roof, and leaking into your home. 

Image via Right @ Home

When your shingles experience this type of wear and tear often, (clogged gutters continually overflowing water onto and under them), you could have more significant and costly issues on your hands. It’s best to avoid these headaches altogether by cleaning your gutters regularly – at least once every spring and fall.

If you simply don’t have the time to take care of this chore, consider hiring someone. Referral websites like Angie’s List and HomeStars will help you find someone reliable in your area. And, while you’re making sure your gutters are in good working order, take a look at your downspouts as well. They should extend at least six feet from your home to properly direct water away from your foundation. Completing these easy chores now will help protect your home for many months to come.

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Pre-Winter Warm Up: 3 Chores to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Fall is in full swing. The leaves are beginning to turn, deciding to leave your jacket behind is becoming less and less of an option, and there's pumpkin flavored everything at your local coffee shop. We hate to say it, but hot on the heels of fall's arrival is a particularly unsavory character: Old Man Winter. It may be too soon to start talking about this dreaded season, (the amount of snow we are or aren't getting does tend to dominate most conversations for about three months so let's give it a rest for now), but it's not too early to prepare for winter's effects on your home. The blustery winds, severe snowfalls, and freeze-thaw cycles we experience during the winter can be hard on properties. So before the snow begins to fall and the ever-dropping temperature makes it harder and harder to be outside comfortably, try tackling the winter prep maintenance we've outlined below - your home and your wallet will thank you.

1. Seal up your home - Use caulking or weatherstripping to seal any of your home's cracks. Pay close attention to your foundation, windows, and doors. Although these little openings may seem inconsequential, fixing them will help to keep the heat in your home - when houses aren't sealed properly they get drafty and costly to heat. Not only that, it can also make a difference when it comes to deterring bugs and pests who are looking for a warm place to hide out from the cold.

Image via House & Home

2. Inspect your roof - As long as it's safe, get up on your roof and check or any damaged shingles or flashings. (If your roof is too steep to look at safely, grab your binoculars and take a look from a more reasonable height). If you notice any areas that look suspect, contact a roofing specialist. Should you encounter a problem, you want to make sure to catch it before there's a pile of snow on your roof slowly melting and seeping into your attic or forming an ice dam. Not sure where to find a reliable roofing company? Check out referral websites like Angie's List and HomeStars. Their user reviews will help you find a reputable individual or company to work with.

Image via House & Home

3. Change your furnace filter - You should be checking your filter about once a month. If it has accumulated a considerable amount of dust, it's time to change or clean it, (depending on the type of filter you have - some are disposable, some aren't). If your filter isn't dirty, put it back and check it again next month. Clean filters help your furnace to operate more efficiently and can even prolong its lifespan.

Tip: Measure your furnace filter before you go to the hardware store to buy a new one.

Image via Bob Vila

Home maintenance is one of the less fun things about fall's arrival, so we have to ask: what's your favorite thing about fall? What are you most looking forward to? We're definitely excited about our fall home shows! Check out the Marketplace Events home show nearest you to get expert advice and inspiration for every area of your home - US Shows & Canadian Shows.

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