After a beautiful summer we are now heading into fall on Bainbridge Island. So I decided to make a list of fall maintenance chores to do around the house.
- Before freezing weather I shut off my outside water supply that is independent of the interior supply, open all the exterior bibs that are connected to that system and drain the pipes. This will prevent the pipes from freezing and breaking. Drain the hoses.
- Have the gutters and downspouts cleaned of leaves and debris. Inspect the roof for loose shingles, debris and moss. I hire someone to do this. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause a backup of water which may result in water flowing into the house.
- Wash the windows inside and out. That is because I dislike seeing the dust that has collected on the outside become a mess when the rains start.
- Close the vents in the crawl space to keep the house warmer and dryer in the winter months.
- Have the gas fireplace insert cleaned and inspected by an authorized technician. This can help insure that there will be less chance of something going wrong just when the heat is really needed on a cold, wet night.
- If I burned wood, the chimney would be cleaned and inspected by a chimney sweep. This will prevent a chimney fire which can be a very scary and damaging occurrence.
- Deadhead the perennials and clean the gardens of unwanted debris and plants. Clean gardens in the fall make it much easier to begin gardening in the spring.
- Rake up the leaves on the walkways, patios, lawns and driveways. Frozen wet leaves can be hazardous to walk on.