How to Survive Winter: Prepare Your Home in Summer and Fall!

No one wants to think about Winter in the summertime, but if you take a little time each month in the Summer and Fall to do some home maintenance tasks, you can protect your house from harsh winter elements, and avoid emergency repairs.

Eleven Home and Yard Maintenance Projects to Tackle Now

Follow this list of seasonal projects to keep your home in good condition.

1. Inspect, repair, or replace your roof. Take care of it before Winter because you don’t want to slip and fall, and you’ll prevent ice dams. Furthermore, roofers must install asphalt shingles when temperatures are between 40 and 85-degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise, they will become brittle.

Look for missing, loose, damaged, and spacing shingles. Inspect the flashing and lookout for leaks. Make sure to clean and repair your gutters.

2. Clean your driveway and sidewalk. Pull the weeds and use caulk and concrete to fix any gaps or cracks. Seal the expansion joints to prevent water from seeping in and freezing in Winter.

Power wash the driveway before temperatures drop below 40 degrees. You may want to replace your driveway if it’s more than 20 years old.

3. Inspect and clean your fireplace. Fireplaces produce deposits that can burn at over 2,000 degrees, potentially destroying the chimney liner or burning your home down! You should inspect the chimney annually.

4. Inspect your deck and fencing for safety and resealing. Clean your patio furniture, screw in loose nails, fill cracks, and power wash the surfaces on a day no colder than 40 degrees. If it’s necessary, add a water-resistant stain before it snows.

5. Test your HVAC systems. You don’t want your furnace to break down when it’s cold! Change the furnace filter at least every three months, and make sure to replace the air filters before you shut any systems down.

If you have an outdoor unit, clean out the debris to ensure proper airflow, and double-check it for damage. Schedule a tune-up for your HVAC system if it’s been a while.

6. In the Fall, cut and aerate your lawn. Aerating helps micronutrients get into the soil and feed the lawn before Winter. Mow the grass down to two inches and put down a quality pre-emergent to prevent weeds from draining the soil of nutrients. 

Lay down fertilizer no later than two weeks before the first frost. Lookout for slopes, impacted soil, and runoff erosion to prevent Winter yard drainage issues.

7. There are plenty of garden maintenance tasks to do in Fall. When temperatures are still above 40 degrees, deep water your plants before they go dormant. Shield your trees and shrubs from harsh Winter elements with shrub covers or chicken wire.

Mulch the roots, eliminate yard waste, and place pest prevention measures. Additionally, divide your perennials to make sure they’re healthy and able to grow in Spring.

8. Clean your space heaters to avoid starting a home fire.

9. Inspect, clean, repair, or replace your windows, window frames, screens, and doors. You aren’t going to want to look at smudges and cobwebs on the window when the Winter sun shines through.

10. Inspect, clean, and paint your exterior. Paint over cracks and peeling, so Winter moisture doesn’t get in.

11. Pest-proof your home indoors and out. When it’s cold, animals and insects will nest in your home if they can find a way in. Hire a professional exterminator, fill holes and cracks in the concrete, and check for leaky pipes or stagnant water.

Make a FREE REQUEST for Local Services on GetAssist!

You don’t have to do all of the work on your own. There are plenty of local services you can Request on GetAssist. Some examples include local:

• Concrete Contractors
• Exterior Cleaners / Power Washers
• Handyman
• Heating and Cooling Contractors
• Landscapers
• Painters
• Pest Maintenance Professionals
• Roofers

So, head on over to the GetAssist Business Directory to make your FREE REQUEST! Our directory covers services in Canada and parts of the U.S.

Take advantage of the warm weather and have a nice summer!