Fall Home Checklist

As leaves start to fall and the air gets cooler, taking the time to give your home a good yearly inspection can help prevent emergencies during the dead of winter or unexpected costly repairs. Here are some steps to make sure your home is Fall ready.

1. Clean Gutters & Direct Drainage

Once the trees are done shedding, you now have the fun task of inspecting and removing all the leaves, twigs, and gunk from the gutters. Make sure your gutters aren’t sagging or trapping water, which can cause ice dams when the water freezes. Ice dams can cause big damage to both your roof and inside of your home, because the melted water will back up and seep underneath the shingles, which than can drip down into the ceiling and exterior walls. Make sure your gutter hangers are tightly screwed on and that your gutter downspouts are working properly, directing water at least 5 feet from the home.  Also, take a look at the soil around your home to make sure it slopes away a few inches over the length of a few feet, this will prevent potential cracks and leaks in your foundation.

2. Inspect & Replace Roof Shingles

If you have a flat roof, you should be fine to use a ladder to take a closer look at your roof’s condition. If you have a steep or multi-level home, use binoculars to avoid any slips. Basically you are going to be looking for any shingles that are buckled, cracked, or missing. If your roof is more then 20 years old and the majority of shingles are badly worn or damage, you may want to leave it to a roofing professional. If the roof is generally in good shape, you may be able to replace a few shingles yourself, depending on how handy you are and your ability to follow a guide. Other stuff you should take a look at while you are up there is that there is no rust on flashings around water pipes which can signal leakage, or masses of moss and lichen, which can signal roof decaying underneath.

3. Check Your Furnace

Have a qualified Tindall & Ranson heating technician come out and make sure your furnace is checked and tuned up for the upcoming winter months. Tune ups include checking for vent blockage or leakage, checking for corrosion or damaged parts throughout the system, and cleaning debris if necessary. Look into our care free maintenance plan for preferred appointments and reduced single visit costs. Also you should change your furnace filters regularly, every two months. This will not only improve the air quality of your home, but it will protect your heating system equipment from damage as well.

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