Today on the blog, we’re sharing some tips and tricks to prepare your home for the Autumnal season and the upcoming chillier months. Learn how to protect your home from cold, damp elements both interior and exterior. Ensure that your garden beds are ready to winter-over. Gather some professional level cleaning tips to keep your home in tip-top shape all season long. Don’t wait until the weather hits its first frost, these helpful pointers will get you ahead of the game. It’s all right here on Pinto Carpentry's guide on how to prepare your home for the fall season.

Catch up on your “to-do list” for exterior repairs. Step outside and perform a thorough exterior check of your home, from the roof to the sidewalks and foundation. We recommend sealing up your driveway and sidewalk cracks, and leveling out uneven paver stones to prevent worsening damage as the ground freezes. Replace all dead outdoor light bulbs with low-energy LEDs. Pressure wash the exterior of your home of all mildew and build up from the Spring/Summer months. Repair any damaged or broken siding panels or shingles. Shut off all the exterior faucets and taps before the first frost. Consider repainting or restaining any outdoor fencing and privacy walls to protect them from dampness and wet wintry weather.

Prepare your lawn and garden for winter weather and the spring thaw. Now is the perfect time to add late-season ferilizers, compost, and fresh soil to your flower beds and veggie/fruit gardens; by the time Spring arrives, your bulbs will be thoroughly fed and the soil will be ready for new plantings. Add some liquid fertilizer treatments and feeding sticks to trees, shrubs, and evergreen plantings. Re-seed dead areas and fertilize your entire lawn in late autumn so that it comes up lush and full when the snow thaws. This is also a great time to plant late-winter and early-spring bulbs such as crocus and daffodils as well as small shrubbery and evergreen trees; be sure to provide them with a generous layer of enhanced garden soil for extra nutrients. For autumn blooms, make sure you’re regularly “deadheading” the plants (such as mums or geraniums) to encourage continual color through the next month! Layer bulbs in pots with fresh soil to ensure month-to-month blossoms in the spring by creating a “flower bulb lasagna” with early blooming plants placed towards the top of the pot, and late blooming towards the bottom layers. Regularly rake or mulch your leaves in areas with high foot traffic to avoid slippery surfaces, but remember to leave some leaf piles in low-traffic spots for over-wintering insects and animals.

Purchase canvas and waterproof covers for your outdoor furniture and stow your yard equipment in weather-proof areas. Don’t wait until the weather is poor to purchase protective covers and sleeves for your furniture, tractors, mowers, and tools. Cover them with a dense, waterproof fabric that will prevent paint peeling, rusting, and cracks throuhg the plummeting temperatures. Ensure that all electric or gas-powered equipment are stowed towards the back of sheds and garages, and swap them so your colder weather equipment such as rakes, leaf blowers, shovels, snowblowers, and plow attachments are out front for ease of access. Clean and stow your garden tools in a place away from humidity to prevent rust and rot.

Clean out and repair your home’s drainage system. Clean out the gutters of any debris, and consider adding gutter caps to prevent leaves and twigs from gathering and causing backups during rain and other inclement weather. Replace any broken, rusted, or damaged segments of gutters and drain pipes. Clear any french-drain channels along pavement or driveways using a pressure washer, heavy duty drain snake, or boiling water.

Do a thorough check of your home’s safety equipment. Replace all batteries in your smoke detectors, carbon mononxide detectors, motion sensor and solar lights. Check your home’s security cameras as well and replace any broken cameras or replace batteries as needed. Check and replace all fire extinguishers and make sure they’re in an accessible area.

Do a full deep clean of the interior of your home. Since the holiday season is fast approaching, now is the perfect time to start doing a deep clean of all surfaces and appliances. Make sure to wash the exterior windows and replace any seasonal screens with winter-weather glass, and consider applying some WD-40 to hinges, handles, and mechanisms. Ensure that your fireplace and chimney have been thoroughly cleaned by a professional before you light the first fire of the season. Deep clean your stovetop, oven, and refrigerator. Apply drain clearing treatments to all sinks and the toilet. Clear out your kitchen cabinets of expired products and the freezer of old food.

Insulate your home against the dropping temperatures to save on heating. Replace your window curtains with thicker thermal fabric to help insulate and save on heating costs. Swap your bedding for insulated, layered options and thicker throw blankets. Seal up any gaps in the exterior and interior of doorways and windows. Add a draft blocker to the bottom of exterior facing doors, and consider weather-taping up any spots on older windows or door frames. Make sure your HVAC system receives service and cleaning before you begin relying on heat, or be sure to bleed radiators to release excess trapped air.
Autumn is also a great time to ensure that your home has the safest stairs and railings! Before the holiday season and your out-of-town guests arrive, let us repair and replace your indoor handrails and stairs. You can rest easy during the holidays when you hear the pitter-patter of little feet descending to view their gifts.Call us directly at 908-922-1778 to book your appointment, or reach out to us via email or any of our social media channels. Our experienced team will measure and custom design a set of stairs to suit your needs and style choices. We’ll schedule a poersonalized consultation, and ensure you receive an estimate reflecting your material choices and budget in mind. You can rest assured that Pinto Carpentry will provide you with high-quality work backed by 20 years of experience, and leave you with a home you’re proud to host at this holiday season!
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