Home Repair and Improvement: Identifying Fall Projects

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• Fall Is The Perfect Time To Take A Close Look At Your Home

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  Fall means back to school, football, and quite a few household tasks that make sense to take on before the snow flies. Ken Adams of Adams Design Construction in Madison says that identifying and addressing what needs to be done will help keep you cozy in colder weather. It will also save money on your heating bill and protect your biggest investment: your home.

  While the weather is still pretty pleasant, it’s especially a good time to focus on the exterior of the home. “One a beautiful day like today, the last thing you want to think about is getting your house ready for winter,” Adams says. “But it’s a great time to start thinking about what sorts of things should be done to protect your house over the winter and to stay on top of things.”

  Adams recommends setting aside an afternoon to really give the house a good examination. You might want to dig out a ladder, binoculars, and a camera to help you with your inspection. He recommends starting with the lower part of the house, or “from the knees down,” as he describes it. This may include the foundation, some of the siding, the bottoms of windows, and the asphalt or cement on the driveway. He says to take notes on anything that seems like a yellow flag, and to take a picture to go with the written notes.

  Once you’ve taken that trip around the house, Adams says to start again, this time focusing on your knees up to as high as you can reach. This includes the windows and the window trim at the house. Adams says that is a particular area of concern because its very common on older homes that “the trim around the top of the windows allows moisture and water to come in behind them because they’ve rotted over the years and they just keep getting worse.” Adams says that when you find damage like that, you may need to take care of it right away, or you may be able to put it off for a year or two, or at least until the spring. The important thing, he says, is that “at least you know what you’ve got. And it’s always good to know what you have to deal with.”

  Looking up a little higher, downspouts and gutters are important to keep in good repair, and free of debris. Adams cautions that if cleaning the gutters means using a ladder, you want to be sure that you are doing it safely, and not risking a bad fall. “Folks like me, of a certain age, that think we’re more physically adept that we may be, we just want to be careful how we set the ladders in place, how we climb up,” he says. Adams also says that when you’re pulling the rotten leaves and other debris from the gutters, you should wear gloves. There may be loose screws and other hazards that could cause injury.

  Following are other sections of the house exterior to inspect. You can download the entire fall home maintenance checklist from the Adams Design Construction web site. It’s in a handy chart format so you can use it for a few years. One The Larry Meiller Show on Thursday, October 10, 2013, Adams will go over the interior items from the list.

  Not going to get to absolutely everything on the list? Just be sure to get to this one. Adams says that whether you get it all done or not, go for a ride in the country and forget about your chores!

  Roof: Check for leaks, damaged, loose, or missing shingles. Check vents & louvers for birds, nests, squirrels, & insects. Check flashing around roof stacks, vents, & skylights for leaks.

  Chimney/Fireplace: Inspect flues and dampers. Clean & check for deteriorating bricks & mortar. Check for leaks, birds, nests, squirrels, & insects. If needed, call a chimney sweep to check condition.

  Gutters and downspouts: Clean and check for leaks, misalignment, clogging, or damage.

  Exterior walls: Check for deteriorating bricks & mortar. Check siding for damage & painted surfaces for flaking.

  Railings and Decks: Check deck boards and railings, make certain they are secure.

  Landscaping: Trim shrubbery around walls. Cut back and remove tree limbs, branches, or debris that can attract insects (no wood or shrubbery should be closer than 3 inches to your house). Maintain grading.

  Concrete and asphalt: Clean sidewalks and driveways. Check for cracks or deterioration. Reseal or repair if needed.

  Septic system: Examine septic system drain field for flooding and odor. Have tank pumped regularly.

  Garden hoses: Remove any outside hoses and store. Winterize your hose bibs.

  Lawn and patio furniture: Clean and store or cover with weatherproof material.

  Lawn: Remove any debris and leaves. Put down winter grass seed in bare spots. (For more information on fall lawn care, here is advice from turfgrass specialist Doug Soldat from a recent Garden Talk program)