Fall will be here very soon! If your home isn’t ready for long nights, cold weather, snow, and ice, then now is the time to get it ready. There are many things you can do to get your home ready before winter. These small home improvement projects can make your house a safer, more comfortable place to spend time in the months to come.
The purpose of your gutters is promote good drainage and carry water away from your house. Unfortunately, gutters become clogged throughout the year as they fill with leaves, twigs, pollen and debris. Cleaning your gutters in the fall can help prevent ice dams, icicles and water leaks in your attic when winter snow begins to fall.
Clean your gutters in the mid to late fall to get rid of the leaves. If you live on a property with tall, mature trees, you may need to clean your gutters a second time at the end of the fall.
To clean your gutters, use a hand shovel or trowel to scoop leaves and debris from the inside of the gutters. Keep a bucket with you to fill with the debris you scoop out. If you can’t do the work safely, hire a gutter cleaner to do the work for you.
Winter is a time of low light and short days. To stop your home from becoming gloomy, it’s important to let as much light into your house as possible. Clean your windows in fall before the weather turns cold. Cleaning after the temperatures drop can become challenging (and uncomfortable).
As the water turns cold, drafty windows and doors can make heating your home difficult and expensive. Install weatherstripping in the gaps between doors and windows to prevent drafts from entering your home. If your home was weather stripped in previous years, check the old weatherstripping for gaps and cracks. If the weatherstripping is no longer spongy, or if it’s showing signs of wear and tear, it should be replaced now before the cold weather closes in.
Windows are sealed with caulk, which can start to deteriorate over time. Replacing old caulk around your windows can improve your windows’ energy efficiency and may also prevent leaks. Check the caulking around your windows near the middle to end of the fall. Scrape out cracked caulk and replace it – or hire a handyman to do it for you.
You may notice throughout this process that your windows are showing more wear and tear than old caulking and weatherstripping. If that’s the case, it may be time to replace your windows in New York or New Jersey. To get started with the window replacement process, call Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey and New York Metro. Use the toll free number, (866) 609-5033 or fill out the short form on this page.
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