FALL GOTTA-DO LIST – Homeowner Rx
It’s time! Like it or not, it’s time to get started on your fall gotta do list. It seems like all of a sudden September has come and gone and the cold chill of winter is just around the corner. So here are a few ideas to help you get started.
At our house, our locust trees are the first to lose their leaves each year. And as I was finally finishing up our front porch painting, I noticed that the locust trees were almost bare. Thought I better check the downspouts. Yep, one was clogged. So I heavily suggest that you check your downspouts early this fall, not just after you notice a problem.
Speaking of painting, in our stores, this is the time of year that we sell outdoor house trim paint like it’s going out of style. Chipped, peeling, or flaking paint got your attention? Take care of it now. Scrape, prime, and paint now. It’ll be another 6 months of wet Indiana weather before you get a chance to paint again. And while you’re at it, caulk. Caulk around your windows and doors. Keep the rain, snow, ice, and insects where they belong, outdoors.
Here’s an important item for your list if you have a fireplace. Before you start burning firewood, take a good look at the firebrick on the back wall and sides of your fireplace. Make sure that every brick, and the mortar around each one, is sound. Gaps in that fireproof wall are what can cause chimney fires. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to check for creosote buildup in your flue.
Don’t forget your yard! This is the best time of year to plant grass seed. There is less shade, cooler temperatures, and still enough time to get a little grass seed to sprout. This is also your last chance to eradicate lawn weeds, and fall is also one of the best times to aerate the soil. And a little fall fertilizer will strengthen the grass against the harshness of our Indiana weather. It will also help it to get a good, early start next spring.
Have broken storm windows fixed. Change that furnace filter. And how about a new energy-saving thermostat for your furnace? Need to replace some weather stripping around your doors? Put new batteries in all your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. And while you are checking those detectors, how about your fire extinguishers. Do they still show a charge? And do you have them at 2 or 3 places around your house for easy access?
Don’t you hate it when you go to get the snow blower out of the shed and the padlock is frozen? Spray some lock lubricant in it now to save time and frustration later. And about that snow blower, will it start? I know a couple good hardware stores in town that are really good at tune-ups.
So even though you are still mowing the grass and enjoying the nice fall temperatures, it’s time to get started. On your fall gotta do list!
And if you need any products, advice, or services mentioned above, you know where to go. To your local family owned hardware store of course!
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