Fall Maintenance
Fall officially arrives September 23, 2011. As promised, here is your Home Fall Maintenance List. This is the biggest quarterly maintenance list – there’s a lot to do to prepare for winter. Village Property Management has very qualified and experienced vendors who can perform any of the below tasks and maintenance issues at affordable prices. Please do not hesitate to contact your Property Manager or Christy with VPM Maintenance if you have any questions regarding your home and the Fall Maintenance List.
- Replace furnace filter(s): Changing furnace filters will improve air quality and enhance the efficiency and life of your home heating & cooling systems. Furnace filters should be replaced regularly (at a minimum four times a year and more preferably 6 – 12 times a year). Homes with pets should consider changing filters at least monthly. Make sure you use the proper type of filter for your furnace. The wrong type of filter can limit air flow and possibly even freeze your air conditioning system.
- Inspect for evidence of uninvited guests: Again, not your in-laws! We’re talking about mice, birds, squirrels, insects, etc. Check attic areas and crawlspaces. Look for droppings and possible damage done to wiring, insulation, siding, roofing, etc. Note: They will be looking for a winter safe haven over the next few months – before they settle in, keep an eye out for them.
- Inspect stairs and railings for safety: Give railings a good tug to make sure they’re not loose.
- Clean dishwasher filters
- Replace the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors: The rule of thumb is to replace them when we change our clocks (fall back). Anytime between now and then is probably safe. Also, while you’re on the ladder vacuum the units. Dust build-up on the units can lead to false alarms or possibly prevent them from functioning at all.
- Clear the roof of debris: While you have the ladder out doing the gutters, take the time to clear your roof of any debris and make sure all roof vents are clear also. This is a good time to inspect the roof, flashing and valleys for damage as well. Again, exercise caution.
- Inspect chimneys for uninvited guests, cracks or potential leaks: It’s just one more thing to do while you have the ladder out.
- Clean the dryer vent and ducting of lint: This is not an easy task – it could require some specialized tools. It is one of the most common causes of house fires.
- Replace any and all water filtration filters: You could have a whole house system, a single sink system and/or filters for your refrigerators/icemakers. It’s time to change the filters and reset any alarms.
- Replace batteries in your thermostats: These guys go dead also. You’ll be embarrassed (and a bit poorer) when you call a heating guy out because you’re cold and all you needed was a new battery in the thermostat.
- Inspect door weather stripping and replace as necessary: If you see daylight – it’s not good! This was also on the summer list – check again!
Just a few other miscellaneous items:
- Extend the life of you patio furniture by storing it or covering it for the winter.
- Don’t let your hose spigots freeze. We’ll watch the weather and try to send an alert out when it is a must to disconnect your hoses.
