Although the sun hasn't stopped shining in the Okanagan, cooler temperatures and longer days are upon us. For those of us who don't live in a maintenance free community like Cadence at The Lakes, that often means raking leaves, lots and lots of leaves. On top of that, there are a variety of other important seasonal home maintenance tasks that should be taken care of every fall, regardless of where you live. Keeping your own personal skill and safety limitations in mind, here are some items to put on your seasonal maintenance calendar according to our friends at National Home Warranty:
- Check windows and doors on the exterior for possible air or water leaks; make sure the weep holes are clear at the bottom on the outside.
- Inspect caulking around windows for cracks or separation from the window or building.
- Check the roof for loose shingles, tiles, or shakes. Make sure vents are in good condition and are not blocked with debris.
- If you have large trees or shrubs close to the home, make sure they are trimmed back to avoid branches damaging the exterior of the home, the shingles, or interfering with vents.
- Check for leaves and debris in gutters and eavestroughs and check for blockages at the down-pipe connections.
- Vacuum and clean out forced air registers (vents) and ductwork in your home.
- Turn your outside water outlets off and drain exterior faucets of water.
- Remove the hoses and any other attachments for the hosebib itself.
- Check all of the vents outside your home: the combustion vent intake, the dryer vent, and the range hood vent. Make sure they are all clear, functional, and the screens are clean.
- Check CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors, if installed.
For more detailed information and other handy home maintenance tips, please visit the National Home Warranty website. And then, once you're done reading on the internet, get back out there and finish your raking (unless you live at Cadence, then you can do whatever you want)!
Life's good lived at your own rhythm!
