Whether you’re already living in your custom home or still dreaming of the day it becomes a reality, the arrival of fall comes with a whole new set of seasonal challenges. Here are some maintenance tips to help you sustain your custom home this autumn to prepare for the frigid winter ahead.

Clean Your Gutters & Downspouts
It’s a good idea to clean your gutters and downspouts at the beginning and end of fall. By proactively cleaning them at the beginning of the season, you can ensure your home has a clean slate before the heavy fall debris arrives. You should also clean them again before the cold weather hits to ensure that the melting ice and snow can drain properly.

Schedule a Roof Inspection
New homeowners may think this isn’t necessary, but it’s a good idea to have a licensed professional inspect your roof to make sure it’s winter-ready. They will find any cracks, leaks, or broken tiles that may have occurred due to heavy summer storms and falling tree debris. They can also let you know if there are any signs of animals trying to enter your attic through the roof or soffits.

Landscaping
Most of us tend to forget about our gardens and landscaping until the spring, but fall is the perfect time to maintain the outside of your custom home. Fertilizing your lawn in the fall allows it to absorb and store plenty of nutrients so that when the snow melts at the end of winter your lawn is ready to come in luscious and green. It’s also a good time to prune any dead growth from your trees and bushes. Dead branches can be dangerous to your home, vehicles, and family if they become dislodged by a winter storm. Take the chance to remove any dead growth from the foliage around your home before it gets too cold to do yard work.

Clean Your Windows
Over the summer, a lot of dust and dirt can collect on your windows. If you don’t clean the grime off of your windows, it can damage their seals and destroy the moisture barrier over time. Starting the winter with clean windows is also a great way to ensure you’re getting as much uninhibited natural light in your home as possible. Cleaning your windows can be a daunting task without the right equipment and techniques, so it may be best to call a professional to do it for you.

Rake The Leaves
This one may seem like a no brainer, but it can be the difference between a brown lawn and a green lawn in spring. Leaving a blanket of dead leaves on your lawn through the winter can seriously inhibit spring growth.

Shut Off Exterior Faucets
It’s important to shut off the water supply to your exterior faucets before the temperature begins to drop below freezing. If you don’t, you run the risk of your pipes becoming damaged, or potentially bursting. Overlooking this fall maintenance tip could cause serious damage to your custom home.

Check Your Dryer Vent
Over time your dryer vent can become clogged with lint. Clogs can negatively impact the efficiency of your dryer, and they’re a fire hazard. It’s hazardous at any time of the year, but especially during the fall because the cool dry weather increases the static electricity inside your home, which can ignite the lint. We suggest hiring a professional to clean the vent if you are unsure of how to do it yourself.

Stock Up
The aggressive winter weather can sneak up on us sometimes. That’s why it’s always a good idea to stock up on winter essentials before the frigid storms arrive. Make sure your shovels are in good shape and stock up on eco-friendly salt, so you can keep your driveway and walkways clear. Be sure to fire up your snow blower if you have one as well to ensure it’s in working order; also make sure you have some fuel on hand. Having an emergency kit in your custom home is a simple fall maintenance tip that could be a lifesaver in the event of an extended power outage. You should include things like bottled water, non-perishable food, flashlights, candles, a crank or battery-powered radio, and a first aid kit.

Chimney & Furnace Maintenance
It’s always a good idea to have a professional clean and perform maintenance on the furnace and chimney in your custom home before you begin using them for the season. A dirty chimney can be very dangerous because the debris can ignite, so be sure to have it cleaned before using your fireplace. You should also change your furnace filter at the start and end of the season to ensure that your furnace can run efficiently.

Check For Animals
You will likely notice if animals have made a home in your attic, but it’s a good idea to poke your head in the attic and make sure you don’t have any unwanted guests for the winter. As the weather gets progressively colder, animals like squirrels and raccoons will be looking for a warm place to call home until the spring, so make sure your home doesn’t become theirs.

Consider building a custom home in the Ottawa area with Omega Homes!
Contact us for more information and let us help you make your dream home a reality, and for more expert fall maintenance tips!

About Omega
We don’t just build you a house, we build you a home. We assemble the top architects, designers, and trades personnel to work in conjunction with our experienced and licensed staff in order to make your dream home a reality. As a Tarion Custom Home Design-Builder, we feel it is our responsibility to be adaptable to each client’s individual needs. There’s no job we can’t handle, and we will do whatever it takes to meet your requests with high-quality results. Our architects and designers are always looking for new and exciting challenges, so the only limit is your imagination.

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