Seven Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Fall and Winter

Summer is the perfect time to start home improvement projects! Warm days, blue skies, and sunshine make it easy to stay outside and work continuously, but what DIY home improvement projects are the most important to complete before fall and winter?

Get Your Home Ready for Fall and Winter:

• Clean and service your air ducts. Spring and summer mean open doors and windows, but that also translates into allergens, dirt, and debris easily finding their way into your home. This can quickly become lodged in your heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system – which carries the air throughout your home! Prepare the HVAC system for fall and winter by cleaning metal vents, replacing filters, and even hiring a professional like A&J Property Restoration to clean out the entire system! Not only will this keep the air you breathe fresh but will also keep your system running as efficiently as possible.

• Check your roof. Preparing for winter means thinking about heavy snow and ice, especially in the Milwaukee and Madison areas. Inspect your roof for holes, leaks, or loose shingles – anything that could lead to water damage or ice dams in the winter. If you’re not comfortable handling this task yourself, a professional contractor can handle the inspection for you. The cost of an inspection will typically save you money on home repairs later!

• Insulate your attic. Insulation is what keeps your home cool with the air conditioning on and warm with the heat running. Proper insulation keeps energy bills less expensive and makes the temperature comfortable in your home! If you’ve noticed drafts or even high energy bills it may be a sign that new insulation is necessary. Adding insulation to your attic, ducts, crawl spaces, and basement will help with these issues.

• Trim bushes and trees. Keeping up with landscaping eliminates the need to rake constantly during the fall as well as minimizing fallen branches and the damage they can cause. Professionals may be needed for the larger trees and shrubs, but pruning bushes around the home is easily completed within a few hours.

• Paint the exterior of your home. If you notice that it’s time for a new coat of paint on your home, it’s best to complete this during the summer months. Winter is not the time to be stuck outside trying to complete this project! Even if you’re painting for strictly aesthetic reasons, put a fresh coat of paint on your doors, windows, and siding before the weather turns cold.

• Seal any noticeable cracks. Just like insulation, cracks around windows and door frames can increase your energy bills and leave your home drafty. Use caulk to seal any cracks to keep the cool air in and the hot air out!

• Add weather-stripping. If you find a place that caulk won’t cut it, weather-stripping will help! Weather-stripping is air tight, working to keep the temperature comfortable and energy costs low.

It’s never too early to start planning your summer projects! Start with this list and your home will be ready for fall and winter in no time!

At A&J Property Restoration, we are experts in keeping homes insulated. If your attic hasn’t been inspected properly in recent years, let us help. We’re experienced in working with anything found in an attic like animal feces, dirt, dust, and any other issues!

Our attic cleaning crew will get your space cleaned and ready to go! Call us today to schedule your attic cleaning.