Fall is for more than carving pumpkins.

 I can’t believe its October already.  Where has this year gone?  I swear summer started here only three weeks ago and now were right back into the rain, shorter days and lower temperatures.  With these fun changes come some maintenance items to think about.  Along with the pumpkins to carve, cornstalks to place and fake spider webs to hang there are some things around the house to take care of.  I started with cleaning the gutters and spreading the moss killer on the roof.  This is an easy one to take care of and will prevent rot in the fascia and soffits.  Make sure that the downspouts are also clear and not loose from the gutter or house.  Let’s keep that water flowing.  The next thing I took care of was trimming all the landscaping away from the house.  Plants touching the house trap moisture and can lead to rot and infestation.  Make sure to take a good look at the trees around your house as well.  Once the wind starts blowing they can damage the house as well as clogging the gutters. 

I also took a look in the crawlspace under the house.  I know there are spiders and other yucky stuff under there but you really need to take a look at least once a year (you can always hire a pro!) for signs of infestation, plumbing leaks and openings that a rodent can use to get in and get comfortable.  Check out the plumbing pipes for insulation while you’re down there as well. 

Next I called my HVAC tech. to come out and inspect and clean the furnace.   This is especially important if you want to stay warm over the next 4-6 months and if you are burning fossil fuels this extremely important for your health and safety as well.  The last thing I did was head out into the garage and trip the GFCI and ARC fault breakers to test them and make sure that they operated properly.  I tripped the ones in the bathrooms and kitchen as well.  I checked out the weather stripping on both doors in the garage as well.  You have to be diligent about keeping those rodents out as they are looking for a warm dry place to live right now. 

My jobs are all competed and all done before lunch time.   I hope you all take some time to maintain your houses as well this fall.  Prevention is cheap and easy while repairs are expensive and difficult.  I look at houses every day that end up costing sellers thousands of dollars at the most inopportune times when some simple maintenance and early detection could have prevented the damage in the first place.  Have fun with it and remember your really just paying yourself. 

                                                            Sincerely, Matt Sorensen…..

While maintenance is a good thing and can be handled by most everyone, some home projects require professional help.  This deck covering was obviously installed by the home owner and I am not sure what is keeping it up.  It is cantilevered out from the house over twenty feet and the joist hangers are the only thing holding it up.  By the way most of the hardware attaching the hangers turned out to be sheet metal screws.  Wow!