Fall is in full effect here in Victoria. The trees have pretty well shed all of their leaves which means you’ve probably spent a few hours raking them up.
Outside of raking leaves, there are a few things to make sure your home is ready for winter.
- Turn off outdoor hoses
You might think that it doesn’t get cold enough in Victoria to turn off all your outdoor faucets and disconnect the hoses, but when temperatures dip below freezing it can turn into a serious mess. Frozen water expands and contracts as it freezes and thaws and that can cause pipes to burst, which can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Custom home builders in Victoria usually install shutoffs to outdoor faucets.
- Blow out your sprinkler system
If you’re lucky enough to have an irrigation system it’s important to get it blown out in the fall (and then again in the spring too). Professional landscapers or yard maintenance companies will have the proper equipment to do this and if they’re reputable they’ll have a long line of customers so book early.
- Assess your yard and runoff water drainage
Predict the flow of excess water. If you have downspouts, extend them at least 3 feet away from the house and foundation. Take a look at the slope surrounding your house. Make sure it is sloping away and not towards your foundation. If it’s sloping towards it, you will need to change the grade before the rain and snow come.
- Close the gaps
Assess all the openings to your house, like windows, doors, vents, etc. If there are gaps in the doors you’ll want to add weather stripping. Are there gaps between the window and the walls? Make sure you seal them up with caulking. Are the vents fitting properly and sealed around the openings? If not you can have cold air and rodents rushing into your house. Add some steel wool to any large opening that you can’t close up with caulking- this will keep the mice at bay!
We’ll have more fall maintenance checklist items in our next post. Stay tuned for that.