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Fall Outdoor Home, Garden and Tool Maintenance Tips for Homeowners

As fall and winter approach now is the time to maintain the exterior of your home, service & store outdoor power equipment and garden tools. Properly storing and maintaining these items in the fall will get you off to a quick start in the spring. Protective winter home maintenance will help your home withstand the forces of nature in the winter ahead. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional to perform the work, use the lists as a guide of tasks to perform.

House Exterior Winterizing Tips

• Inspect roofing and siding for damage, check flashings, clean out gutters and leaders and make sure they are secured properly and make sure splash block are in place for proper drainage.
• Test outdoor GFCI receptacles and check covers.
• Start and test generator power if you have one.
• Repair entrance or deck stairs
• Check weather stripping around entrance doors and garage doors.
• Check windows for operation and closure, caulk and paint, remove screens and store for winter.
• Install storm windows if you have them.
• Check fuel levels if you have oil heating and keep clear access for refueling.
• Turn off outdoor water faucets and remove hoses and drain.
• Trim tree branches close to gutter, roof or house so animals can’t enter at soffit area.
• Check outdoor light fixtures and replace bad lamps.
• Clean and cover out door air conditioning units. Remove window type a/c units or cover in place.
• Check fireplace chimney for obstructions or blockages.
• Clean/check kitchen and bathroom ventilation exhaust fans.
• Clean dryer vent and damper of lint and check operation.
• Clean outdoor gas grill and cover.
• Winterize sprinkler irrigation system.
• Winterize pool and ponds.

Garden Supplies and Tool Maintenance

• Clean hand tools (shovels, edger, rakes, hoe, etc) and apply a coat of light oil (or spray with WD40) to steel surfaces to prevent rust.
• Remove all water hoses & sprinklers, drain and store.
• Remove water and liquids from hand sprayers and power washers.
• Clean, sharpen and lubricate all cutters – hedge trimmers, pruners, loppers etc.
• Gas powered tools - clean, sharpen and lubricate, remove fuel or run to empty.
• Lawn mowers - sharpen blades, change engine oil, clean, lubricate and check air in tires, run till fuel empty.
• Store fertilizers and chemicals in a secure dry place and protect liquids from freezing. It’s best not to store dry fertilizers from season to season as they will clump up from moisture.
• Empty clay flower pots as they will crack in freezing temperatures.
• Take down and store hanging plants.
• Store wheel barrow upside down if kept outside.
• Clean and store outdoor furniture.
• Before bringing in houseplants check for rodents and insects.
• Clean out dead flowers and vegetable gardens.
• Start, test and run snow blowers for winters use.
• Check snow shovels and ice scrapers for use or replacement.

Home Maintenance- Duct Cleaning and HVAC Service

Many homeowners ask- “Do I really need to have my home air duct system cleaned?” You and your family spend about a third of your life in your home, so breathing clean healthy air is very important. The age of your home doesn’t really make a difference for doing this maintenance. Many people think because their home is new that this is not needed but the contrary- if you have just moved into a new house it is the best time to have the air system fully cleaned. During the construction process there are many dust creating tasks and these dust particles have most likely settled in you duct system from sawdust to drywall gypsum particles. These are some of the most common eye and nose irritants and should be removed before you move into your new home.

If you have just purchased a resale home it would be wise to consider having the air system cleaned to remove any harmful dust particles that have settled in the ductwork from previous years. Having the ducts cleaned in older homes may also remove odors and cooking particles built up from many years of use. Before occupancy of any existing house at minimal, you should change all air filters and clean all the air supply registers and return air grills. If the thought of whether or not to have your HVAC duct system cleaned is in question than consider the following tips.

1st – What about Health and Air Quality? Everyone has a concern about the quality of air we breathe. Many allergies, respiratory and breathing problems are related to particles and mites in the air. Regular changing of air filters in your home air system is a good maintenance practice and is an important step in keeping the air within your home healthy. Just as important is having the HVAC system serviced and cleaned periodically. Babies, young children and the elderly are the most susceptible to having respiratory problems due to poor air quality.

2nd- How do I know if my home system needs cleaning? Every home heating and air conditioning system with forced air requires the air filtration media be changed regularly. Make it a practice to change air filters at least 4 times a year, a visual inspection may show to change more frequently as the dirt is visible. Free air flow also lets the unit run more energy efficient.

3rd- When should duct cleaning be done? Every home environment is different and the outside air quality also contributes to when this should be done. As a rule of thumb I would suggest at least every 2-3 years. Include with this cleaning your dryer vent and possibly exhaust fans. Consult a professional duct cleaning contractor for recommendations of services.

4^th- Can a homeowner do it yourself? A good portion of HVAC maintenance can be done by a do it yourselfer. If you are familiar with your forced air heating & cooling system, changing of the air filters is relatively easy. There are different grades of air filters available, use the mid to upper priced filters as they collect finer dust particles. Also, if you are handy you may want to attempt cleaning the air supply registers and returns. Simply remove the register and clean the grill and use a vacuum cleaner to clean inside the wall box. Repeat the same procedure for the return vents.

5^th- Is there any other benefit from duct cleaning? Your home will be cleaner and require less dusting and possibly remove odors from your household. The overall air quality will be healthier for you and you family.

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