You only have a few more days to complete these fall home maintenance tasks

So long sweet summer, it’s officially fall. While you were savouring the last few warm days we have here in the Greater Toronto Area, you probably didn’t get around to doing too much home maintenance. Well, the time is now. 

We reference Tarion’s seasonal home maintenance list to see what you should be doing around your home before the month is over. You don’t have much more time, these things should be done this week and/or next weekend! 

Inspect the garage 

If you own a car, you should clean out your garage and ensure there is space to store it for winter. If you end up parking in your driveway all winter, you’ll be scraping ice and brushing snow off your car in the morning. No one wants to spend their mornings doing that. 

You should also inspect your garage door to make sure it’s functioning properly. You don’t want the first day of winter to approach and discover that your garage door doesn’t work. If your garage door is getting stuck, sometimes all it needs is some lubrication. If there’s a bigger problem, you may have to call a professional.

Check caulking around windows

It’s inevitable, the weather is cooling down, so you’ll be turning on the heat soon. You’ll be wasting a lot of energy and money if the caulking around your windows don’t keep the warm air inside. Any air leaks will cause your HVAC unit to work extra hard to try to achieve your optimal temperature. If you discover any cracks in your caulking, it’s an easy fix. Do this now before you have to turn on the heat in order to avoid wasting money and compromising your comfort! 

Prepare fireplace and chimney 

You likely didn’t use your fireplace or chimney through the summer. The fall and winter months are the best for cozying up next to a crackling fire. Make sure your fireplace is clean and your chimney clear of any blockages. You never know what critters or birds may have decided to call your chimney home during the spring and summer. Any blockage in your chimney could lead to serious damage and can be dangerous for your entire family. 

Clean humidifier 

The air can be quite dry during the fall and winter, so this is when families start to break out the humidifier. Dryness not only affects your skin and breathing, but also the structural integrity of your home. The framing of your home will expand and contract with changing temperatures, and if it’s completely dried out, it could lead to cracking or other types of damage. When you get your humidifier out of storage, make sure you give it a good cleaning because mold could have developed in some of the crevasses of the machine.

As always, you should also reset your GFCI and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. We hope these tips help prepare you and your home for the fall season!