Fall Home Maintenance

Image from Anthony Landscapes

Today (Sept 22nd) is the first day of fall! Yes, we are still making our way through 2020, one way or another. And even though LA tends to rebel against the rest of the Northern Hemisphere (sometimes serving up summer weather until December) we think it’s a good time to begin preparing for fall. See below for a few fall home maintenance reminders to get started.

– Chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance: if you have a fireplace, schedule a chimney cleaning and furnace or boiler maintenance to make sure everything is in tip top shape when you’re ready to light that first fire, or finally turn on the heat.

– Rake leaves: while there’s not usually an abundance of leaves in LA, depending on your neighborhood, it’s good to rake regularly as too many leaves on a lawn over the fall and winter seasons can inhibit lawn growth in the spring. It also helps to keep pests away.

Don’t forget to rake them into piles for the kids (or adults) to jump in, first. It is a highlight of the fall season, after all.

– Clean gutters: clogged gutters can cause damage to roof and siding during the rainy season, which typically hits LA around November. 

– Make exterior repairs: walk your property and look for signs of damage to roof, siding, and foundation that can be fixed before we head into the rainy, chilly season.

– Seal gaps: critters will soon be looking for somewhere warm to hide out, don’t give them the opportunity to take up residence (no one needs any new, unwanted roommates this year). Any hole the size of a quarter will allow mice to enter.

– Remove window A/C units: if they can’t be removed, cover the entire exterior of the unit with an insulating wrap to keep cold air out.

– Clean dryer vents: lint build up can make your dryer work less efficiently and can even cause a fire when the dry fall weather mixes with static electricity. This one is key, and it happens more frequently than you can imagine! We can’t be responsible for any more of those in LA.  

– Deep clean the kitchen: Get in all the nooks and crannies of your cabinets and appliances for a fresh start to what tends to be a busy season for the kitchen.