Fall Home Maintenance Checklist – Part 2

Fall is the ideal time of year to clean and inspect appliances. Start by cleansing the interior of appliances thoroughly then examine them carefully for damage and/or deterioration. September and October are historically the best months to purchase new appliances as manufacturers are releasing new models and retailers are eager to move current inventory. Parts and accessories for older model are often still readily available at reduced prices.

A lot of Fall home maintenance involves landscaping, and though similar rules apply throughout the country, here in Arizona we know we have a little leeway. However, even in the Phoenx Valley where desert conditions allow for a moderated landscape maintenance schedule, it’s possible we’ll experience a frost or two so you’ll still want to be careful when and how much you prune, knowing you have a couple extra months to do so. The best time to prune is usually as soon as the harsh Summer weather is over, usually early October.

Not mentioned in the article below but definitely worth a moment or two of your time… test all smoke detectors, replace batteries and note the age of both smoke detectors and CO detectors. Heating season is notorious for home fires. Did you know that 10 years is the recommended life of a smoke detector?

Fall Prep: Expanding Your Fall Home Care Checklist

By John Voket

In this second fall home-maintenance checklist, we’ll pick up where we left off tapping our wealth of resources for tips and tricks to make the best of your pre-autumn chores.

Don’t Prune, Do Transplant. Colonel Landscaping (colonellandscaping.com) in Connecticut advises clients to resist the desire to prune in fall, and save that chore for spring, when pruning promotes new growth. Instead, Colonel suggests transplanting trees and shrubs that, without the added stresses of summer weather, will focus their energies on root growth.

Touch-Up and Turn. Author Cynthia Ewer who also blogs at organizedhome.com, believes late summer is perfect for touching up paint on trim, railings and decks. Use a wire brush to remove flaking paint, and prime bare wood first. While you’re at it, Ewer says check the caulk around windows and doors, and follow manufacturer’s recommendations to re-caulk if needed.

Inside, Ewer reminds homeowners to do things like turn mattresses front-to-back and end-to-end to equalize wear, while laundering or cleaning all bedding: mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, comforters.

Clean Appliances. Kit Arbuckle, a source at care.com, says don’t just clean the insides of your living spaces – clean the insides of your appliances, too! Arbuckle is an advocate of cleaning the inside of your oven, your clothes washer and dryer – even your dishwasher. Just make sure you’re using a cleaner that’s recommended by the manufacturers.

Ready Radon Monitoring. Robby Martin at southernliving.com reminds homeowners that while autumn temperatures encourage open windows, during cold weather, a home is often deprived of fresh air.

Martin smartly recommends planning to periodically monitor radon levels that can seep through foundation cracks and other openings within your home using EPA approved kits, available at home-improvement stores. He says such kits will include information on where to send the results for a lab analysis.