Preparing your home for fall is essential to avoid issues that could develop down the line in the colder months. Dropping temperatures signal a busy time for businesses as customers gear up for the holidays, but they can also bring trouble on the home front. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your house for cold weather, ensuring winter-related issues don’t distract from delivering top-quality customer service.
Prepare Your Home: A Checklist
Review this checklist as the seasons change to keep your living space and business on track.
Check Your Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors blend into the background but require maintenance like any other home appliance. Most smoke detectors take batteries, which eventually die. Experts recommend changing batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors annually; this item on your fall maintenance to-do list ensures you never miss a year.
Prepare Your Generator
Colder temperatures mean more furnaces running across the country, which can strain power grids. In the worst-case scenario, increased energy use can lead to power outages. Personal generators can be lifesavers in these situations, providing enough electricity to keep your home warm until the power returns. Of course, you must check your generator before the cold weather sets in to ensure it’s in working order when needed. Additionally, ensure you have enough fuel stored in a dry, safe place.
Clean Your Gutters
Loose leaves can become a real issue for gutters; they clog the drain pipe, leading to standing water and overflow. Puddles on your roof can cause water damage and even attract wildlife, while pools near your home can undermine its foundation. To prevent these issues, you should clean out your gutters at the beginning of the fall.
The first step is removing large items such as twigs and leaves. Once the gutters are clear of obstructions, you can use a hose or powerwasher to push leftover dirt and debris toward the downspout.
Insulate Your Pipes
Water tends to expand when it freezes. Thus, your pipes may be in trouble when the temperature drops. Burst pipes can cause water damage that’s expensive and time-consuming to repair. Fortunately, you can avoid this issue by insulating your pipes beforehand. Doing so keeps the water warm, ensuring it doesn’t freeze.
Update Your Homeowners Insurance Policy
It’s difficult to focus on your business when disaster hits home. Review your homeowners insurance with your agent to limit stress during the cooler months. There are three types of homeowners insurance, each with varying degrees of coverage:
- Extended replacement cost
- Replacement cost
- Actual cash value
You might need to update your homeowners insurance policy coverage if you renovated during the past year.
Replace Weatherstripping
Windows and doors are energy sinks since they don’t have insulation; air can escape through tiny spaces in door frames and window sills, causing drafts. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: weather stripping. This thin material adheres to frames and sills, creating an airtight seal.
About Brooks, Todd & McNeil
Since 1839, the independent agents at Brooks, Todd & McNeil, have been pleased to offer our community the best and most affordable policies from a variety of providers. Our dedicated facilitators are ready to put their 75 years of combined experience to work on your claims. To learn more about our products and services, contact us today at (800) 448-4567.