Inspect your windows and doors
Are your windows and doors closing tightly? Not only can small gaps allow in cold draughts of air, but it’s widely acknowledged that mice can fit through a crack just the width of a pencil. So now’s the time to get busy with your caulking gun or draught excluding strips.
Clean your fireplace and chimney
By all means have a good clear out of the charred remains in your fireplace, but it’s best to leave the flue cleaning to a professional chimney sweep. While they’re busy doing that, you could begin to bring in the firewood for this winter. The weather’s only going to get damper, so sooner is better than later.
Empty your gutters
Autumn leaves look beautiful, so many shades of red, gold and ochre. They’re not so beautiful however when they’re a rancid mulch in your gutters and downspouts, causing rainwater overflows and creating potentially dangerous and damaging pools on the ground.
It’s important to assess the condition of your roof before the winter weather sets in, but please do this safely. See what you can from ground level; use a camera with a zoom or binoculars to help you. Don’t endanger yourself by clambering up there and walking around; it’s just not worth the risk.
If you’ve any concerns at all with your metal roof, contact Cowperthwaite Roofing so that we can carry out an inspection on your behalf.
Sort out your garage
Unless you’re blessed with a large water-tight garden shed, chances are that your deck furniture, umbrellas, barbecue and the kids’ outdoor toys are going to spend the chillier months in your garage. This means having a good sort out, to reclaim the space which might have been lost to “stuff” over summer.
Wash down the barbecue
Don’t just bung the barbecue under its cover, shove it in the garage and forget about it. The leftover scraps and drips of fat and sauce from that amazing rack of ribs you cooked last Sunday are going to be absolutely rank in no time. And, they’ll be a magnet for cockroaches and other vermin. So scrub hard now – you’ll be relieved in spring that you did!
What exactly was taking up that space in the garage? Is it anything you need to keep – or is it your old fridge and the leftover timber from your shelving project? You’ll likely have a fair amount of garden waste accumulate over the next few weeks too. Don’t leave this in piles around your property. It’ll get damp, it’ll rot and it’ll attract all sorts of unwelcome visitors… which then bring their own set of problems. Whether you choose to take it to your local waste transfer station, a Green Bin collection service or a junk removal firm, the quicker you get this stuff shifted, the better.
Please note: “Cowperthwaite Roofing’s Quick Guide to Preparing your Home for Autumn” is written in good faith and for general purposes only. You should not rely on the tips given here as an alternative to professional advice. If you have any questions about any issue covered, you should consult with an appropriately qualified professional.