It’s Officially Autumn! Is Your Home Ready – or Have You Been Procrastinating?

With the “official end of summer,” there’s no doubt about it. Winter is on its way. If you’ve been procrastinating, now is the time to get those last minute maintenance items done! In our last issue we offered a few tips. Here are some additional areas that you should review as part of your fall maintenance plan.

Is your furnace happy?

It won’t be long until your heater is pressed into duty. Now is the time to clean or replace the air filter. In addition you should turn it on and have a listen. Does it screech or whine? This could be a sign of warn belts. 

If it doesn’t seem to be putting out as much heat as you remember, it could be the sign of a few different problems. Your heating ducts might be blocked, the burners might be misadjusted, or the blower motor could be on its last legs. If your heater exhibits any of these symptoms, beat the rush and call in the professionals now – before everyone else does!

Are you ready to walk the walks?

Take a few minutes and just have a walk around the driveway and the various paths on your property. Keep an eye out for cracks and uneven surfaces. Look for cracks that are bigger than an eighth of an inch wide, uneven areas and railings that wobble. Finally, make sure that any gravel you have between pavers isn’t washed out and check for disintegration of any asphalt.  

Got paper clutter?

If you’ve been stacking newspapers in the garage waiting for the perfect time to recycle them, this is it. In fact, spend a few moments in your garage loo

king for potential fire hazards. Make sure the area around your furnace (or anything else that gets hot in your garage) is clear of papers and clutter. If you have old hazardous household materials (paint, thinner, solvents) consider taking what you won’t use right away to a recycling facility that accepts these items. And be sure you’re not leaving any oily rags lying around. That’s a fire just waiting to happen. And speaking of fire… 

Do you have a fire extinguisher?

You should have AT LEAST one fire extinguisher that is rated for all types of fires. Having one per floor is also a good idea. You wouldn’t want to have to run up and down stairs to retrieve the extinguisher while a fire is burning!   In addition, check the pressure gauge to be sure that each extinguisher is fully charged. Also check for dents, corrosion and heavy scratches. If your extinguisher is over 6 years old it should be replaced.

Do you need help?

This is a busy time of year when it comes to home maintenance. Have you been putting off those home maintenance chores? Or has the “excitement” of the recent earthquake worn off (so you’ve put those earthquake safety “to do’s” on the back burner)? Now is the time to get them done! Don’t procrastinate! Let us help you!    Read on for our September Special.