Fall Home Maintenance

Jana Ross

In October and November, my home maintenance focus turns to water, warmth, & pest control (If we're cold, they're cold and trying to come inside). Here's my personal checklist of home maintenance tasks for the coming weeks and more details on why these tasks are important.

service the furnace and change the filter

HVAC companies are BUSY during the winter, so I want to make sure that my furnace is clean and in good working order before we hit freezing temps. A yearly service gives your HVAC tech the opportunity to spot and correct minor issues before they become large problems and includes a tuneup to keep the system working at peak performance. These service appointments can help prevent a shutdown during the coldest months and avoid a long delay in getting the heat back on. In addition, gas furnaces need to be tested for carbon monoxide output as their heat exchanger can develop cracks over time that will allow dangerous carbon monoxide to escape into the air.

The windows remain shut once the outside temps drop, so we’re all breathing the same air with less circulation. A fresh filter rounds out my fall furnace maintenance.

check the attic

When the rain starts, it’s the perfect time to head up and see if the roof or attic space need attention. When assessing the attic, I’m looking for any moisture, staining, or microbial growth on the underside of the roof sheathing, moisture or discoloration on the insulation, evidence of pests or potential pest access points, damaged or missing insulation, and checking to ensure that all vent ducts are attached and venting to the exterior of the house. Those ducts are notorious for falling, and when they do, they vent moist air from bathrooms and kitchens right into the attic, causing issues over time.

check the crawl space

Like the attic, fall is the ideal time to head into the crawl space to look for moisture, evidence of leaks around plumbing drain pipes, fallen or damaged insulation, proper insulation around plumbing supply lines, and evidence of pests or potential pest access points. Pests can do a number on insulation, PEX plumbing lines, and access vent screens, in addition to making a royal mess in the crawl space and invading the home. They can chew and squeeze their way through all sorts of things, so it’s best to keep an eye out.

walk the exterior to clear crawl space vents

Sure, you can check the crawl space vent screens from the crawl space, but you still need to walk the exterior of the home and remove debris and vegetation from the exterior of the vent screens. A healthy crawl space needs to breathe.

address damaged and missing insulation

Sometimes insulation in the crawl space droops or drops, pests and moisture can damage insulation, and insulation wears out over time, and attic insulation gets squished, squashed, and moved about. Replacing damaged or missing insulation and redistributing uneven insulation will help with energy bills and overall comfort and health.

complete quarterly pest control

We live on a green space, so we’re up close and comfortable with nature. We don’t, however, want nature to join us inside, so we keep up with quarterly pest control to encourage carpenter ants, mice, rats, and raccoons to remain free in the wild.

*I’ll be honest though, I’d totally love a raccoon pet.

check & cap exterior faucets

Exterior faucets can freeze and bust during, well, hard freezes. I’m shutting off the water to exterior faucets where I can, taking a moment to check for leaks around the faucets or during use, and then capping them off with insulated covers to keep them cozy until spring.

check & winterizing sprinkler system

Our sprinkler pro will be heading over to test the system, repair any broken heads and lines, shut it off, and blow any residual water out of the lines. Once done, it’ll be ready to hibernate until May or June.

secure toilets to the floor

A loose toilet puts pressure and strain on the wax ring that seals the toilet to the drain pipe. Let a toilet wobble, and you’ll break the seal and end up with a gray water leak in your flooring and subfloor and into the lower level ceiling if the toilet is on an upper level. Every fall, I check our toilets and tighten the bolts in the base to keep those suckers secure.

check toilet tank bolts

In most toilets, two bolts at the bottom of the tank attach the tank to the base. Those bolts sit in water all day, everyday and, over time, they can rust away. When they do, a slow drip will start from the base of the tank to the floor behind the tank. It’s a slow and silent march that can be difficult to catch and cause costly repairs.

Years ago, a client’s tank bolts rusted out in their primary bathroom. Months went by before enough water pooled at one time for them to notice. By then, the floor of the primary bathroom, the ceiling of the dining room below, one wall of the dining room, and the dining room flooring were saturated and needed to be removed, dried, and replaced. They ended up with a gorgeous new bathroom, but it wasn’t worth the hassle! If your tank bolts start to rust, empty the tank and replace the bolts to prevent a repeat disaster.

check local water shut off valves

Every sink, toilet, and appliance water supply line should have their own, local shut off valves. If they are old, plastic valves, replace them. Old plastic valves are prone to breaking with age, preventing you from being able to shut off the water locally in the event of a leak or repair need.

clean around the fridge and oven

My last task is a quick clean and inspect job under and behind the fridge and oven. It helps to keep the appliances in good working order and gives me the chance to look for pest access points that need to be sealed.

There are some standard fall maintenance items that aren’t on this list because we got a head start in them and took care of them in September. Those include having the roof and gutters cleaned and cleared and checking the gutters for damage and sagging that could cause issues in the coming raining season.

If you need contractor recommendations for your home maintenance, let me know! I'm happy to share my trusted pros.