Fall Checklist

Does the Season Call for Special Fix-Its, Maintenance or Repairs?

Lists, lists and more lists! This time for the Fall Season. It seems to go with the theme mentioned in our opening segment of projects, projects and more projects. It’s the very reason we have been encouraging you to make to-do lists since it’s challenging to keep track of it all. Along with the great Fall Checklist below, be sure to see the simple suggestion I shared in my weekly newsletter.

Staying on top of daily, monthly, and annual chores around your home is a big job. Maintenance and repair jobs are constants. To save time and money, plan for the seasonal needs of your home, yard, and garden.Here is a Early Fall checklist for all those early autumn tasks that sometimes get forgotten…

Summer is winding down and the yard starts looking a little spent, the kids are back in school, and it’s time to make sure that your home is ready for the winter. We will have more ideas to share as fall continues and winter moves in!

• Drain hot water heater. Flush and refill.
• Change the furnace filter.
• Wash out garbage cans, disinfect, then rinse thoroughly.
• We are heading into the great Indian Summertime, so take advantage of a few last barbecues before the weather changes. Then clean, repair, and store patio furniture.
• Plant late autumn vegetables like cabbage, peas, spinach, and Swiss chard.
  
• Divide perennials, iris, and bulbs.
• Seed lawn if your yard has patchy spots. Fertilizing now also encourages good root development.
• Before it gets cold, have an automatic irrigation system installed. (Scheduling is easier with less competition than in the spring and summer.)
• Wander through your home and make sure that all heat vents are clear. Stuff gets moved during the summer and often vents get blocked, especially in homes without central air conditioning.
• Install a programmable thermostat if you don’t already have one. This can save you a ton of money, especially if you program it so temperatures are lower at night. Buy a new sweater and resist the temptation to turn the heat up.
• Have your backup heat source serviced. Wood stoves and pellet stoves should be checked to make sure they are in good condition and ready for another year of service. Buy wood or pellets now, to beat the winter rush!
• Have your chimney cleaned, especially if you use a wood stove or fireplace a lot during the cold season.
• Weatherize your home. Use caulk, weatherstripping, and check for new, inexpensive ways to reduce heat loss.
• Do your “spring” cleaning now before the chilly weather sets in and enjoy a clean house for the holidays.

Order seed catalogs for winter reading!

You may have other tasks that you do seasonally, but this list should give you a leg up on the myriad tasks that need to be accomplished before Old Man Winter starts breathing down your neck. Once these chores are done, you can enjoy a well-deserved rest with a good cup of coffee and enjoy the wonders of your seed catalogs and plot landscape and exterior improvements for next spring. Or you can get busy tackling those indoor projects, as the weather becomes less pleasant, and you are more home-bound!

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Ten Fix-Its You Should NEVER Postpone

How Many Do You Pay Attention To?

Are you finding yourself too busy to pay attention to on-going home maintenance needs? Do you have someone to help you with those fix-its or do you just let them go hoping they’ll go away?

We all get busy at times, and forget that our house, apartment, or condo (whatever you call “home!”) continues to age. Here are Ten Fix-its that should always be on the top of your to-do lists to keep your home a healthy, safe environment for your family. Keep in mind, this list is in no particular order. Each item has its own importance, significance and value. (See our BONUS TIP below.)

1. Filters in air-conditioner and heating units

One should at least inspect the filter every 30 days and change it if necessary. If clean, check atleast every 45 days. If a central air conditioning and heating system is used regularly, the filter should be changed at least once a year.

2. Gutters

You should inspect and clear them spring and fall. Loosen dirt that has blown into gutters, and scrub them with stiff brush. Flush with a stream of water from the hose to clear lodged material. Consider having a mesh-screen or leaf catching system installed. If during inspection you find gutter leaks they will need to be repaired to prevent future damage to your siding and guttering systems. We would be happy to install the gutter guard for you or make necessary repairs!

3. Window caulking

As fall approaches and the weather starts to get cooler, it’s a good time to think about replacing the caulking around your windows. Last winter were any of your rooms drafty? Did the curtains move when the furnace wasn’t on? These are signs that your window caulking isn’t doing its job anymore and should be replaced. Fall is a good time to do this job, since caulking works best when it’s applied in temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees F.

4. Plumbing

Do you have leaky faucets? A constant drip in the shower or bath? These constant leaks take their toll on your home; it costs you in money (water usage goes up dramatically!) damages (leakage may also be occurring where you can’t see it) and the irritation factor (a constant drip can be incredibly annoying!). Sometimes a simple washer replacement or tightening of the parts of your faucet can be all it takes to solve the problem. DON’T wait. It won’t go away by itself!

5. Mold and mildew eradication

Mold needs a food source (dirt, for one!) a source of moisture and a place to grow.

Exposure to any mold could cause health effects (e.g., allergic symptoms, difficulty breathing, headache and fatigue) under the right conditions. It is important to make sure that the source of moisture is stopped before the mold is cleaned up. If this is not done, the mold will grow again. Mold needs to be cleaned up, and then prevented.

6. Electrical glitches

These “glitches” can include problems with light bulbs and fixtures, dead outlets, tripping-breakerproblems, and switch difficulties. For the most part, these are things that need professional intervention. Take notes when you notice the problems; i.e. when they occur, what appliances or fixtures are on at the time of the problem, how often it occurs and if you have noticed changes in your electrical bill.

7. Hot water heater maintenance

Most of us buy hot water heaters (or they come with our home!) and we ignore them until there is a problem! That in itself often creates problems. A few basics will keep your unit running efficiently, and will lengthen the life of your water heater. (Which is, by the way, about eight to 12 years.) Yearly maintenance is the key. Drain your water your water heater at least once a year to prolong its lifespan. Be sure your unit is equipped with a drip pan, and if your local laws require it, earthquake strapping. Sludge or sediment removal is a good idea too, as it builds up on the bottom of the unit and can prevent efficient operation.

8. Dryer vent maintenance

The exhaust tube at the back of your dryer vents to the outside. All hot, moist air coming out ofthe dryer is vented this way, and carries with it not only hot air, but lint and fluff from your clothing. This linty material collects in the lint trap, which is either in the front of your dryer door, or on top of the dryer. (KEEP that clean!) Some sediment and fluff gets past that trap, and goes into your venting tube. There are more than 15,000 dryer fires each year, caused almost exclusively by built up lint in the exhaust tube, or behind the dryer. A blocked vent can cost up to $20 a month in electricity! Not to mention many dryer motors burn up prematurely due to this blockage and build up!

9. Tub and Shower maintenance

Keep your tub and shower areas well vented – leaving glass doors or curtains open for a time, to insure air circulation. Maintain grout and sealants around the fixtures. Caulking should be replaced or renewed regularly, to prevent leaks. Make sure your shower head cuff is firmly attached to the wall, so no water can get behind it. Be sure all shower head fixtures are tightened and not leaking at the connection point to the piping. Remember, the goal is to prevent water from intruding behind the enclosure or under the floor. With that in mind, it is also important to check and re-caulk other regions in the bathroom. Caulk the region at which the tub meets the floor, where vertical tile meets horizontal tile, and the line at which the lavatory sink counter top meets the back splash.

10. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors

The most common suggestion is that your battery operated units should have the batteries changed twice a year – when daylight savings time comes and goes is the more frequently suggested time – it’s easy to remember! Press the test button to be sure alarm functions. Try lighting a candle and holding it to the unit for 20 seconds or so, to see if the smoke detector is activated. Seek help, or replacement, if the unit isn’t functioning properly.

For Carbon Monoxide detectors; change the batteries twice a year and keep the unit clean. During the winter, when doors and windows are closed, and heaters and furnaces are operating, the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning dramatically increases. A few minutes twice a year can pay untold dividends in the safety and well-being of your family.

BONUS TIP > Print this article out and use it as a checklist. It’s an easy way to remember key maintenance requirements in your home!

Be sure to ask for help if you are unable to keep up with these things. The cost of NOT doing so is far more costly than the time and money required to keep up with them regularly. We at THE FIX-IT PROFESSIONALS help our customers with these very things. Click Here to see our special offer and take advantage of it to help you with this list! Whether you ask us for help or do it yourself, be sure to not let these things go!

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Creating the Heart of Your Home

Do You Know Where Yours Is?

Have you heard the expression “kitchens are the heart of the home?” For some, that may be true. But for some of us, it is a bit harder to define where the “heart” of our home resides. And therein lies the problem, for without a vision and plan for our homes, a place  to meet with family and friends, our houses are just houses, not homes. Keeping up with fix-it repairs and remodeling is one way to focus your attention on creating the environment of welcome, comfort and security.

As you read this article, think a bit about where you go in your home to find that sense of heartfelt belonging. It may indeed be your kitchen, especially if you have a kitchen / family room sort of set up. Do you have a place your family gathers to talk, to be together, to socialize?

Maybe it is your dining room table that attracts family – sitting around after a good meal, talking, reminiscing, planning, sharing. If this resonates with you, take a look at that space. Look at the furnishings, and their placement. Take an unbiased look at your wall color, your lighting schemes and the actual placement of your dining area. One young family of our acquaintance had both a formal dining room and a large kitchen dining area. They decided to expand their kitchen into the formal dining room area, leaving only the kitchen area. It has been a boon for them – for it is the place they gather with friends and family. Would such an approach work for you?

For some, it is the family room, a room with comfortable chairs, good lighting a nd a place (or three!) for knick-knacks, books, family mementos, with a sense of peace and relaxation. In smaller homes, there may be only one living area, not separate living and family rooms. If you have both, do you gravitate to one room more than the other? Does it change with the seasons? Perhaps you have a fireplace in one room that appeals to you in the cooler months? Or maybe one room has a spectacular view that you enjoy in the spring and summer. Take the time to analyze your family’s lifestyle, hobbies, schedules and interests, and incorporate those things into one room in your home where you can be together.

We all need downtime, and alone time. Our bedrooms, a den or office, or even a little-used guest room can be ideal for that. But it is easier to create those spaces than it is to find family space. Whether you are single and love to entertain, or you have a large family, you want those times to flow easily and with a friendly, happy ambiance. Keeping up with home repairs, having a list of improvements at hand, and working to create a comfortable lifestyle are so important in times of economic downturns, when our homes become our havens.

Make YOUR home a place you and your family want to be. Update lighting, change wall color, re-purpose rooms to get the most out of your space. Need some help or some ideas? View our blog, or contact Joan, as a Lifestyle Makeover Specialist, to help you create the vision and bring it to fruition.

WOW! Who is YOUR Lifestyle Makeover Specialist?!

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