A little planning now can help prevent nasty surprises later like water damage, porch & deck mishaps, heating problems, and those pesky PNW roof leaks. Getting on it before the fall-to-winter holidays set in will keep you from feeling rushed.
From gutters and drainage to heating and exterior repairs, here is your fall homeowner checklist.
Clean and Check Your Gutters
Leaves, needles, dirt, and debris can quickly clog gutters once fall weather arrives. When water cannot move through the gutter system properly, it has to go somewhere, and you do not want that somewhere to be your siding, roof, foundation, or attic.
Not to mention, the damage done when squirrels and crows find food in your gutters and decide to stock their winter pantries by wrecking your gutters.
Clean gutters and downspouts and watch where the water goes. Downspouts should direct water away from the house rather than dumping it alongside the foundation, or worse, one of those surprise waterfalls off of the porch! Nothing worse than trying to get into the house while getting dumped on!
While you are there, look for gutters that are loose, sagging, leaking, or pulling away from the house. Those small problems are much easier to address before months of steady Oregon rain.
Look for Rot and Water Damage
Summer is a good time to make repairs. Fall is your last call.
Walk around the exterior of your home and look closely at siding, trim, windows, doors, decks, and anywhere two parts of the structure meet.
Pay attention to:
- Soft or crumbling wood
- Peeling or bubbling paint
- Discoloration
- Gaps around windows and doors
- Damaged siding
- Areas where water collects or repeatedly runs against the house
Do not assume a small area of visible rot is the whole problem. Water can travel behind siding and trim, so damage underneath may extend farther than what you can see.
If something looks questionable, get it checked before the rainy season gets into full swing. This is something we have extensive experience with, so get that free estimate!
Inspect Your Roof
You do not need to climb onto your roof to give it a basic fall inspection. From the ground, look for missing, loose, or damaged shingles and obvious problems around chimneys, vents, and rooflines. Inside, check your attic for discoloration, dampness, or other signs that water may be getting through.
Or give us a call to inspect for you. We have a trusted roofer we’d be happy to set up for you.
Check Windows and Doors
Cold air has a way of finding every little gap in a house.
Check the caulking and weatherstripping around windows and exterior doors. Look for cracks, gaps, or areas where old caulk has pulled away.
This is also a good time to clean window tracks and make sure windows close and lock properly. If you have storm windows or seasonal window coverings, get them ready before temperatures drop.
Get Your Heating System Ready
Do not wait until the first freezing night to discover that your furnace needs attention.
Replace or clean your HVAC filter and consider scheduling routine maintenance before heating companies hit their busiest season. Or now might be the time to get that HVAC system moved to make better use of basement space? We have experience with that!
If your home has a fireplace or wood-burning stove, fall is also the time to have the chimney and system inspected and cleaned as needed. We also have a respected chimney cleaner we can recommend. Let use know!
Check Bathroom and Kitchen Caulking
Water damage does not only come from the weather.
Inspect caulking around tubs, showers, sinks, backsplashes, and other wet areas. Cracked, peeling, discolored, or missing caulk can allow water to reach places where it does not belong. Gently push on the floor area around the toilet where the wax ring may be giving way and rotting the floor without your knowledge.
Replacing failed caulk is a small job. Repairing rot behind a shower, cabinet, wall, or under the toilet is not.
Look for Basement and Crawlspace Moisture
As rain returns, keep an eye on the lowest areas of your home.
A musty smell, damp surfaces, standing water, staining, or unusually high humidity can all indicate a moisture problem. Check basements and crawlspaces after the first few substantial rains, particularly if drainage has been a problem in the past.
A dehumidifier may help manage normal humidity, but recurring water intrusion deserves a closer look. The source could be drainage, a foundation issue, plumbing, or water entering somewhere else in the structure.
Prepare Your Outdoor Spaces
Give decks, stairs, railings, fences, and other outdoor structures a quick inspection before winter.
Look for loose boards, unstable railings, rot, peeling finishes, and other areas that need repair. If your deck needs cleaning, sealing, or staining, pay attention to the product’s temperature and weather requirements before starting. This is particularly important for porch and deck stairs in the Pacific Northwest. They rot out faster than you realize and you don’t want a trick-or-treator or holiday guest to fall through!
Clean and store outdoor furniture, grills, cushions, and seasonal items that will not be used during the colder months. Many outdoor BBQs have branded covers, but we’ve used generic versions that have the ability to cinch down to any shape and size and they’ve worked well.
Trim Back Trees and Plants
Branches and vegetation should not be rubbing against siding, roofing, gutters, or windows.
Trim back overgrown shrubs and small branches where appropriate, and have a professional evaluate larger trees or limbs that could pose a risk during windstorms. We’ve all watched the news when a branch falls on a house or car, so mitigate that risk before you get stuck with a hole in the house during a snow storm!
Clearing vegetation away from the house also makes it easier to spot moisture problems and exterior damage.
Shut Down Irrigation and Outdoor Water
As temperatures begin dropping, prepare outdoor plumbing for winter.
Disconnect garden hoses, shut down or winterize irrigation systems as appropriate, and check exterior faucets for leaks or damage. Check the instructions on your irrigation system. Some will have instructions on emptying the lines so they don’t crack underground during the winter.
This is also a good opportunity to make sure water is draining away from the house rather than pooling near the foundation.
Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
As homes close up and heating systems come back into regular use, test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Replace batteries as needed and check the age of each unit. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms do not last forever, so follow the manufacturer’s replacement recommendations. Most units need to be replaced every 10 years, so check the dates on yours. Multipacks of new ones are much less expensive these days.
Make Your Fall Project List
Not everything needs to be fixed this weekend.
Walk through your home and divide what you find into three categories: needs attention before the rain, needs attention this winter, and something you want to improve next year.
That last category matters. Fall and winter are great times to start thinking about the bigger projects you want to tackle next year, whether that means remodeling a bathroom, updating a kitchen, finishing a basement, or addressing an aging part of your home before it becomes a larger problem.
You do not need to wait until something fails to start planning. A little preparation now gives you more time to make good decisions, understand the scope of the project, and be ready when it is time to renovate.
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