When it’s time to trade in that bottle of sunscreen for a trick-or-treat bag, it’s a good idea to look around your home for things that might need attention, like the gutters, windows, and garage. Ensuring an energy efficient home in the winter may depend upon getting a few upgrades or replacing some of the older features of your home.
The fall is also a terrific time to plan a renovation because the heat of the summer has passed, and the snows of the winter have not yet arrived. Is the paint peeling on your home? Are any of the shingles on the roof displaced or loose? Is your fireplace full of creosote and last year’s soot? You might have some renovations, remodeling, or upgrades ahead of you.
Readying Your Windows for Winter
The fall is a terrific time to think about replacing the windows and doors of your home, particularly if they’re old, drafty, and likely to let in winter air this season. Did you notice condensation or frost forming on windows last winter? Better Homes & Gardens suggests getting windows with multiple panes.
Glass with multiple panes, spacers, or filler gasses (such as argon or krypton) will likely solve these problems. A professional can swap out your problem windows with more efficient models that will increase your level of comfort while decreasing your heating bills.
Taking a Look at the Gutters
A few times throughout the fall, you’ll want to take a look at your home’s gutters. If your home sits under some leafy trees that love to drop their leaves each fall, those gutters will be filled to the brim. Squirrels might even pack some nuts and food into the gutters.
Your home depends upon functioning gutters to keep the basement dry from melting snow off your roof. Remember to take a look also at the seams and bends in the gutters. If you see any cracks or rusty parts, you might need to get those sections of your gutters replaced.
The Weather Channel offers a savvy tip for cleaning to remember when you’re cleaning out the gutters:
“Don’t try to remove the debris with a hose because that may cause downspouts to clog.”
Going Green With Lighting
Any time is a good time to install CFLs and LED lights in your home to save money and energy, but the fall offers another opportunity to boost the safety and curb appeal of your home. Consider installing lights along the walkways of your home t make it easier to see when you come home from work and the sun is already dipping below the horizon.
The pros at This Old House suggest:
“Less daylight calls for illumination. You can also enhance the nighttime curb appeal of your home while adding a measure of safety and security, by installing low-voltage landscape lighting.”
Check the Garage, Too
If you’re already cleaning the yard tools and machines and putting them away for the winter, consider doing some minor preventative maintenance on your vehicle as well. For example, fall is the best time to change the wiper blades on your car. According to Bankrate:
“You generally use your wipers more frequently in the fall and winter. They’ll also be taking a lot more abuse from road grime and windshield-washer solvent, so it’s best to have a fresh set then.”
After getting the car ready for the coldest months, take a look at the rest of the garage. If you’re doing any maintenance on the home for reasons of safety, upgrades, and renovations, remember that your garage could use a facelift, too.
Has your garage door seen better days? Don’t risk your garage door malfunctioning on a snowy day and letting in a ton of snow into the garage. Make sure the garage door is in good working order, or consider a new garage door if you’re making some improvements to other exterior areas of the home like the windows and entrances.
Want to Get Your Home Ready for Winter?
We can help you figure out where your home needs improvements before the winds of winter start to blow. Let us help you design the best renovation project for your home. Contact Gettum Associates for a Consultation or give us a call at 1-317-888-5681.
