Quick 5 home maintenance fall checklist.

Quick 5 home maintenance fall checklist.

1. Tune up your heating system. For about $80 to $100, a technician will inspect your furnace or heat pump to be sure the system is clean and in good repair, and that it can achieve its manufacturer-rated efficiency. The inspection also measures carbon-monoxide leakage.  At least change your air filter, if you used your air condition, even if you didn’t, your air filter might be dusty or clogged with dust. Change air filter will improve air pass through your HVAC system and quality of the air you breath.  
2. Hit the roof, above or below.  Or at least scan it closely with binoculars on top of the roof. Look for damaged, loose or missing shingles that may leak during winter’s storms. If your roof is flat and surfaced with asphalt and pebbles, as many are in the Southwest, rake or blow off fall leaves and pine needles, which hold moisture.  Clean the gutters. If your gutters are full of debris, water can back up against the house and damage roofing, siding and wood trim.  Finally look below the roof to see if any rot or paint fall off the wood, or any insect or bird build their nest.  Take care those problems before winter hits will make sure you will not have problem during damp winter.
3. Caulk around windows and doors. Richardson says that if the gaps between siding and window or door frames are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk. (Check the joints in window and door frames, too.) Silicone caulk is best for exterior use because it won’t shrink and it’s impervious to the elements. Try GE’s Silicone II Window and Door product, which is “rain ready” in three hours. Check window-glazing putty, too (which seals glass into the window frame). Add weather-stripping as needed around doors, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home, so cold or hot air won’t mix with outside air to increase efficiency of your HVAC system. 
4. Test all Smoke alarm and Carbon Monoxide alarms.  If it’s battery operated or use battery back up, change the battery regardless if batteries are functional or not, because sometimes seems good may not be during emergency. People use heater more often during wintertime, so a good functional smoke alarm and carbon Monoxide are necessary.  Please consult your Realtor for how many andwhere those alarm needed in your property
5. Call a chimney sweep. Before you burn the Yule log, make sure your fireplace (or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal), chimney and vents are clean and in good repair. That will prevent chimney fires and prevent carbon monoxide from creeping into your home. Search for a sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.