Home Maintenance Tips | September 2023
Post Courtesy of Realtor.com
For most of the country, September signals the end of summer’s dog days and a return to fuzzy sweaters, chilly evenings and, of course, pumpkin spice everything (this is America, after all).
But before those first autumn leaves begin to fall, it’s crucial to take a few steps to stave off any cold weather home breakdowns. Luckily, we’re here to make it as easy as possible for you with our handy checklist of home maintenance chores to tackle this month. These quick, relatively painless tasks can potentially save you major repair costs down the road.
Check Walkways for Cracks
Before the grass is covered with snow, or it’s too cold to venture outside, check walkways for cracks and loose paver material. Fix walkway and entryway areas before slippery weather can cause a tripping or falling accident.
2. Clean Siding
September is a great time to use a pressure washer to clean it up—and inspect for more serious problems before winter comes. Check first for rotten or warped areas, and inspect your caulking, which can shrink and crack over time.
3. Check Leaky Faucets
Before the temperatures start to dip, examine leaky faucets in the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room locations, most likely whatever time and money you spend now will be considerably less than a broken pipe in the dead of winter.
4. Seal Windows
All double- or triple-pane windows should have a tight seal around their perimeter that separates the individual panes of glass and traps inert gas between them, providing a break between the temps inside and outside your home. If you notice that your windows are frequently foggy, that’s likely a sign of a failed seal.
5. Sweep Chimney
When temperatures finally fall, you’ll want to be ready to light your fireplace. But before your first toasty blaze of the season, make sure your chimney has been cleaned.
Built-up soot in your chimney can increase your risk of a chimney fire, and a clogged chimney can also increase the presence of carbon monoxide in your home by not allowing it to escape when you have a fire burning in the fireplace.
6. Change Air Filters
This one really should be a maintenance task you do every month, Granger says. Dirty air filters can lead to higher energy bills and irreparably damage your HVAC system.
Changing your air filter is a fairly straightforward task—just be sure to check the size of your existing filter before you hit the hardware store. Pros also recommend removing all vent covers and vacuuming pet dander, hair, and other debris that can accumulate and gunk up your HVAC system.
7. Service Yard Equipment
Autumn—not spring—is actually the best time to show some love to your lawn equipment before you put it away for winter.
Change your oil and filter, replace air and gas filters, and install new blades if necessary. Then perform the lubrication and adjustment maintenance required by your equipment’s manual. But you don’t want to drain the gas tank completely. Instead use a premium gasoline without ethanol but with a gas preservative. Just before you store it, fill the tank with this mix.