Fall Home Maintenance

Summer can't last forever. The weather has to get cooler. Kids have to go back to school. Summer flowers fade and fall colours take over. Fall reminds us that winter is on its way. This means preparing yourself and your home for the cold and ice and snow.

The most obvious places to pay attention to are your heating and cooling systems. The windows and doors will need attention. "Batten down the hatches!" Don't forget to drain your garden hoses and turn off the valve that serves the outdoor faucet. There are all kinds of fall gardening chores to be done, and you might want to replace your garden furniture instead of storing it. Take advantage of end-of-summer deals. This is a great time to clean out the garage. While you're putting away the summer stuff, you'll rediscover your winter tools and toys. Make sure you have access to a snow shovel for that first surprise snowfall, and put the snow brush in the car. 

Before the ice and snow starts, take care of your home and your family. To help, I've prepared this checklist for you:

Fall Home Maintenance

Taking Care of Your Investment (adapted from CMHC by Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor)

ü  Have furnace or heating system professionally serviced every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

ü  Disconnect the power to the furnace and examine the forced-air furnace fan belt, if installed, for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.

ü  If you have central air conditioning, make sure the drain pan under the cooling coil mounted in the furnace plenum is draining properly and is clean.

ü  I f you have a hot water heating system, lubricate the circulating pump.

ü  Bleed hot water radiators.

ü  Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.

ü  Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.

ü  Remove the grilles on forced-air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.

ü  Turn ON gas furnace pilot light (if your furnace has one), set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate. Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.

ü  Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.

ü  Check to see that the ductwork leading to and from the heat recovery ventilator is in good condition, the joints are tightly sealed (aluminum tape or mastic) and any duct insulation and plastic duct wrap is free of tears and holes.

ü  If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.

ü  Check to see that bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods are operating properly. If possible, confirm that you are getting good airflow by observing the outside vent hood (the exterior damper should be held open by the airflow). See the About Your House fact sheet CMHC Garbage Bag Airflow Test for a simple way to estimate the airflow.

ü  Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries.

ü  Clean portable humidifiers.

ü  Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to check for line obstructions or leaks.

ü  Replace window screens with storm windows.

ü  Remove interior insect screens from windows to allow air from the heating system to keep condensation off window glass and to allow more free solar energy into your home.

ü  Ensure that windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weatherstripping, as needed.

ü  Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Replace door weatherstripping if required.

ü  If there is a door between your house and the garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.

ü  Cover outside of air-conditioning units and shut off power.

ü  Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall, so that water does not drain into your basement.

ü  Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roof, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.

ü  Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close interior valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost-proof hose bibs.

ü  Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.

ü  If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.

ü  Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.

Summer Home Maintenance

Summer is the best time to do a lot of work in and around the house.


You'll obviously be doing gardening and landscape maintenance, and there are a number of things you'll want to do while windows and doors can be left open and there are things you'll need to do that are specific to this season. Plan your projects. Because our summer days and weekends are busy with fun things, you might want to save some for the fall, when we often have surprisingly warm days.

Painting, work on windows and doors, driveways and walkways,  roof repairs, and carpet cleaning are all things that are best done while the weather is good.

Keep your investment in top shape during the summer. Here's a checklist to inspire you:

  

Summer  Home Maintenance

Taking Care of Your Investment

(adapted from CMHC by Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor)

• Use a dehumidifier to maintain relative humidity below 60 per cent in basement.
• Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, and clean or replace ventilation system filters if necessary.
• Inspect basement pipes for condensation or dripping and, if necessary, take corrective action; for example, reduce humidity and/or insulate cold water pipes.
• Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.
• If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.
• Deep clean carpets and rugs.
• Disconnect the duct connected to your clothes dryer, and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside.
• Check smooth functioning of all windows, and lubricate as required.
• Inspect window putty on outside of glass panes of older houses, and replace if needed.
• Sand and touch up paint on windows and doors.
• Lubricate door hinges, and tighten screws as needed.
• Check for and replace damaged caulking and weatherstripping around mechanical and electrical services, windows and doorways, including the doorway between the garage and the house. 
• Lubricate garage door hardware, and ensure it is operating properly.
• Lubricate automatic garage door opener motor, chain and other moving parts, and ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is properly adjusted.
• Repair any damaged steps
• Check all guardrails and handrails.
• Repair driveway and walkways as needed.
• Check exterior wood siding and trim for signs of deterioration; clean, replace or refinish as needed.
• Remove any plants that contact — and roots that penetrate — the siding or brick.
• From the ground, check the general condition of the roof and note any sagging that could indicate structural problems requiring further investigation from inside the attic. Note the condition of shingles for possible repair or replacement, and examine roof flashings, such as at chimney and roof joints, for any signs of cracking or leakage.
• Check the chimney cap and the caulking between the cap and the chimney.

Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor, is one of the best Realtors in Newmarket, in York Region, and in the GTA. Check out his website www.harrynaghavi.com to find this list and other important information about buying and selling homes, and try out the interactive property search feature!

First-Time Home Owner/ First-Time Garden Owner (Handy tips and links)

Your First Home! Wow! Congratulations! Awesome feeling, home ownership.

Are you excited about having a yard? Are you planning your flower beds, maybe some decorative pots on the porch? Did you remember to buy a lawn mower (a push one if you have a small lawn)?

It's exciting to get your hands dirty in the garden for the first time. It's also a big responsibility. I've got some information you need, things to think about, some tips and links for you to get you started, including a list of essential garden tools. 

There's the property standards thing: There are bylaws about fences and hedges, and garbage, and more.  "Private Property and Boulevard Enforcement involves by-laws primarily associated with land use (zoning), lot maintenance, property standards, boulevards, signs and noise. The enforcement of these by-laws supports orderly development, community standards and community image." (Town of Newmarket) 

And the environmental thing: Newmarket has a bylaw limiting pesticides, and water restrictions. There is a green bin compost program and the town encourages you to purchase a garden composter (Town of Newmarket) and York Region has tips for yard care and gardening that save water and we got our rain barrel cheap through the region (Water For Tomorrow).   "The average suburban lawn uses six times the hazardous chemicals per acre as conventional farming. Per hour of operation, a gas mower emits 10 times as much hydrocarbon as a car. Then, of course, there are the sprinkler systems that go off like clockwork, even when it’s raining." (Canadian Living) 

Remember, you're taking care of living things. You'll love watching your baby plants grow into flowers and vegetables. If you don't have children, having a garden gives you a great outlet for your nurturing instincts. If you have children, there are a million lessons that gardens teach.

Don't worry. There's lots of help out there: websites and blogs online, books, and staff at gardening centres, even gardening centres in department stores and at Canadian Tire can help. And, talking about yard work is a great way to meet your neighbours! They'll know best about what works in your neighbourhood.

For information on plants and planting and everything gardening, follow local garden people, like Mark Cullen. on blogs and Facebook posts to get timely advice. You'll know when it's time to plant tulips and the best way to do it, for example.

Don't go crazy buying all the fancy gardening tools. You might not need them all, and you might be able to borrow some. Here's a list of essentials:

1. Gloves (can be old leather gloves)
2. Wheelbarrow (kids' wagon works in a pinch)
3. Rake (for leaves, and a straight rake if you have flower and vegetable beds)
4. Hand pruners (scissors, saws, and loppers and other cutting things are good too)
5. Watering Can (and a good hose attachment is nice)
6. Trowel (for planting smaller things)
7. Spade (for planting bigger things- watch where you're digging. Here's the number to call to locate underground stuff.)

Creepy Garden Gnomes Optional