Five Home Maintenance Tips to Complete Before the Sun Leaves

Fall is a magical time of year - the leaves change color and start falling from the trees, evenings start getting crisp, and you may even begin to see frost on the ground in the mornings. Now is also the best time of year to carry out some essential maintenance work on your home before the days get too short and the cold weather really sets in. For this post, DKI Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services has a list to share with home maintenance tips to complete before you can't stand the idea of going outside.

Take Care of Trees

If you have trees and shrubs around the exterior of your property, now is the time to start tending to them. Overhanging branches can become loose during periods of wind and rain and can cause damage to your home. This damage is made worse as the damage usually occurs to the roof of a home, allowing rain and wind inside. When it comes to the foundation of your home, falling leaves can clog up your gutters and drains. When this occurs, water overflows and collects around the foundation of your home, leading to even further damage.

Seal Gaps

As the temperature begins to drop, animals outside which have previously kept their distance will also start feeling the chill. It’s natural for them to start to look for a warmer place to make their nest, but you probably don’t want that place to be your living room. Take a walk around the exterior of your property and make sure to seal up any holes or cracks where animals like squirrels or mice could potentially make their way inside.

Add Weatherstripping

The areas around your windows and door frames are often responsible for the drafts that you may start to feel when the cooler weather hits. Invest in some weatherstripping from your local hardware store, and apply it around window and door frames. Add breeze-stoppers to the bottoms of external doors to keep the warm air in and the cool breeze out. This can help to reduce your winter heating bills and has the added benefit of providing extra protection against animals and insects entering your home. If your home or property has sustained damage and you require professional and high-quality restoration services, speak with DKI Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services at (888) 436-3499 (24 hours a day) for immediate attendance and assessment of your property.

Check your Chimney and Heating Systems

There’s nothing like the smell of a real log fire on a crisp, Fall evening. However, these features can cause serious damage to your property and your health if you do not conduct the required maintenance. Over the course of the year, large amounts of dirt and debris have likely collected in your chimney. This means that if you start a fire without checking the chimney first, the smoke may not have anywhere to vent and flood your home. Have a professional come and check your chimney during Fall to make sure that it’s safe to start lighting fires when the nights start getting cooler. It’s also crucial to give your gas and electrical heaters, and central heating systems the once over before you try to use them, to avoid any accidents such as fires or flooding.

Check Safety Appliances

There is never a bad time to talk about smoke and fire detectors. This is particularly important, however, during the cold weather when home fires become more likely due to the use of electrical and gas heaters, as well as log fires. Conduct a full test of your smoke alarm and replace the batteries regularly. Ensure that you have an appropriate fire extinguisher located near potential sources of fires. While looking at new smoke detectors, take some time to explore the range of detectors now available, such as carbon monoxide and other pollutants. These can provide valuable feedback regarding the quality of air inside your home, and potentially provide an early detection of a gas leak in your home. New models of smoke and fire detectors can now be connected to create a home wide alarm in the event of a detection, and even provide lighting to guide you and your family to safety.

Professional Restoration Services in St Croix Falls

If your home or property has sustained structural damage and you require professional restoration services in St Croix Falls, speak with DKI Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services at (888) 436-3499. Available 24 hours a day, an experienced property restorer can provide a thorough assessment of your situation.