After months of sweltering heat and multiple calendar days without rain … our metroplex-wide collective fever has finally broken!
Friends, I put on a JACKET today and it was glorious!
“September days are here,” mused American poet and Native American activist Helen Hunt Jackson, “with summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”
With the change of season’s comes Sunday afternoon football games, Big Tex at the fair, pumpkin spice coffee and, if you’re lucky, some relief on your next electric bill. So many things to look forward to! I get it!
However, I don’t suggest you stick your head in a pile of leaves these next months. Similar to a spring clean, fall is an opportune time to do home maintenance beyond replacing smoke detector batteries or installing a clean air filter. Tasks taken care of now will reduce the chore list when temps turn warm again.
Windows and door frames. Opening the window to allow a fresh breeze in your home will help it feel less stuffy from summer swelter. Not opening the windows and doors allows you to feel the cooler winds seep through cracks. In many cases, a silicone-based latex caulk will seal up the problem areas.
Lighting. Fall days lead to fall back clocks. Before you know it, night seems to have more time in a 24-hour period than day, leaving your home feeling dark and gloomy. Swapping out bulbs to energy-efficient, daylight hue LEDs can help brighten your spaces.
HVAC. Triple-digits days are particularly hard on our cooling units, and will the autumn season comes increased dust and allergens that bind the appliance down. Have a HVAC check up will help the electric components to rest and be more ready for next Spring.
Fireplace. The last thing on anyone’s mind in multiple months has been sitting near a cozy fire. Dust and creosote build-up can cause smoke to flow back into your home, or worse, be ignitors for a full-engulfed emblazoned house. With a broom, dustpan and bucket, you can dramatically reduce risks.
Water Heater and Pipes. If we learned nothing from the “Great Freezes” of 2020 and 2023, we learned cold weather is hardest on water heaters and pipes. Draining and/or flushing out the water heater will remove particles that make the unit work harder. Exposed pipes, more often found on pier and beam built homes, should be checked for intact insulation.
To-do lists are rarely fun and often put to the side for the activities we’d rather enjoy, yet, taking a few minutes here and there to do some seasonal home prep will reap rewards when you can get out of the house and aren’t stuck waiting inside for some to do a potentially avoidable major repair.