Preparing your Home’s Exterior for Fall

So long summer and hello fall! As the seasons change and those delicious autumn smells fill the air, we can’t wait to get all snuggled up indoors. As you’re swapping out your flip flops and tank tops for sweaters and boots, don’t forget that your home needs a little love to get it ready for the change of seasons, too. We’ve got a few tips to help make the transition so you can sit back, relax and enjoy all those cozy nights ahead. See our fall-ready checklist below!

Inspect your roof and clean your gutters. It’s easy to forget that although they do so well keeping us dry all year, our roofs and gutters need a little TLC from time to time. Be sure to check your roof now for any damage, cracks, or clumps of leaves and debris. Gutters are equally as important- they are oh so good at flushing thousands of gallons of water away, but be sure they aren’t clogged so you avoid getting any leaks or damage inside or outside your home. Check for drafts and reinforce your windows and doors. Did you know that as much as 30% of your heating and cooling energy use comes from heat gain and loss from drafty windows, according to the US Department of Energy, Not only does checking your windows and doors for leaks, drafts and cracks help save energy, but it’s going to help keep you nice and toasty warm as the winter months come creeping in.

Quick tip: Close a piece of paper in your door or window. If it slides out easily, consider an update to your weather stripping. If your windows are beyond DIY “hacks”, contact us for a free estimate on new, energy-efficient windows for your home.

Trim your trees. We know. You’ve waited all year for those gorgeous autumn colors, it seems so wrong to cut it all back! After you’ve had your fill of fall foliage and crunching through piles of crispy leaves, trim back those hedges, bushes and branches. They can pose a real threat if they get too close to your home, roof, or power lines. As rain turns to ice and snow, those heavy branches are more likely to fall or break and could do some real storm damage to your roof or anything else in their path.

Replace or repair your siding. Fall is a great time for replacing or repairing siding to add another element of winterizing for your home and reduce heat loss. It’s also a great time of year to avoid those temperature extremes and moisture that may lead to installation delays during the spring, summer or winter months.

Pack away your seasonal furniture and winterize your AC. As sad as it might be to put away your favorite patio lounger, doing so will extend the life and save it from rust or damage from the coming winter months. Just remember to clean it before storing in a dry place. If you won’t likely need your AC for the colder months, it’s not a bad idea to cover those outdoor central AC units, or if you have window units, remove or cover them to prevent sneaky air leaks.

Change your batteries. At least once per year, be sure to check that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and have fresh batteries. We saved this tip as “best for last”, but your safety is always first, so while it’s fresh in your mind, why not just go check those now!

We hope you find these tips useful! A&A Services is a small, family-owned company that has been serving the North Shore of Boston for 40 years. We are proud to offer best-in-class service and installation for roofing, siding, windows, and other home improvement projects.

Tags: Autumn, checklist, energy efficiency, roof replacement, roofing contractor, siding installation, Tips and Tricks, window replacement