Autumn may not officially arrive until late September, but with days becoming shorter and shorter, temperatures steadily dropping, and leaves vacating their (tree) premises, the transition from summer to fall is slow but relentless.

If you’re someone who likes to stay on top of things, early to mid-fall is a great time to start preparing your home for winter – inside and out.

Here are some useful tips that, no matter how obvious they might seem, can be easy to ignore or forget.

 Lawn and Garden

• Clean and store your warm weather lawn tools and equipment.
• Check that your snow removal equipment is in good working order and take stock to see if you’re coming up short. It’s far easier to purchase rock salt for your front walk now, for example, than it will be in January.
• Trim back over-grown greenery and cut tree branches away from your home maintenance tips. Some pruning is better left for the spring, so check with a landscaper or local nursery to prevent shrub and tree damage.
• Remove dead vegetation from your vegetable garden.
• Cut your lawn one last time once it stops growing.

Home Exterior 

• Put away your hoses and sprinklers for the season.
• Shut off the water supply to outdoor faucets.
• Cover or store outdoor furniture, plants, and anything else you want to protect.
• Clear away dirt and debris from where your garage door meets the pavement.
• Lubricate your garage door tracks and then open and shut the door several times to ensure its functioning smoothly.
• Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep.
• Inspect your chimney for loose flashing and missing mortar. Use masonry caulk to seal small cracks where the flashing meets the chimney, and reattach loose flashing with roofing cement.
• Locate your woodpile away from your home to help prevent insects, rodents, or snakes from working their way indoors. Place a tarp over your woodpile to keep it dry.

Home Interior

• Remove window air conditioning units.
• Check the condition and amount of your attic insulation. The entire surface should be covered with a six-inch blank of good quality insulation.
• Check your attic for signs of leaks, moisture. If you even suspect such a condition exists, correct as needed. Moisture and mold also could be caused by poor attic ventilation.
• Check area where exposed pipes are located, like your garage, a crawl space, and even inside cabinets up against an exterior wall. These pipes should be insulated to prevent freezing, cracking, and resulting water damage.
• Vacuum behind your refrigerator, stove, and washer and dryer. And thoroughly clean the dryer vent.
• Check the batteries inside your smoke and CO detectors and replace as needed. Smoke and CO detectors should be located on every floor of your house, and outside every bedroom.

Here’s another big time Fall maintenance tip: contact PC Plumbing, Heating, AC & Remodeling to schedule preventive maintenance for your furnace or boiler. With annual maintenance, your heating system will run better, last longer, and reduce your monthly utility costs.  For best results, the time to act is now.