Autumn Maintenance Tips

Home Exterior

• Regularly clean gutters and downspouts. Make sure all drainage areas are unblocked by leaves and debris. Consider installing gutter guards to make the job a lot easier.
• Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Use caulk to fill the holes or completely replace the wood.
• Lower humidity and cooler (not yet cold) temperatures make fall a good time to paint the exterior of your home.
• Inspect your roof, or hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. If the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling, replace them. If you have a lot of damage, it's time to replace the entire roof. Also, check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. If you have any leaks or gaps, heavy snow and ice will find its way in.
• To prevent exterior water pipes from bursting when the weather gets below freezing, turn off the valves to the exterior hose bibs. Run the water until the pipes are empty. Make sure all the water is drained from the pipes, if not; the water can freeze up and damage the pipes.

Keeping Warm

• Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected, cleaned and repaired to prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Wrap water pipes that run along exterior walls with heating tape. It will save energy and prevent them from freezing.
• Clean and replace filters in your furnace or heating system. Contact a licensed heating contractor to inspect and service your gas heater or furnace to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Your local utility company will often provide this service for free.
• If you use a hot water system for heating, drain the expansion tank, check the water pressure, and bleed your radiators.
• Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly. The vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space. If it is installed incorrectly (with the vapor barrier facing up) then the insulation will trap moisture causing possible water problems. Cut slits in the vapor barrier to allow moisture to escape. To install attic insulation, unroll the insulation with the paper side out. Install small pieces of insulation between the joists on the attic floor. Be careful not to step between the joists.

Doors and Windows

The change in temperature and humidity and normal wear and tear can cause window seals to crack and shrink. Check your windows and doors inside and out for leaks and drafts. Caulk cracks or install weather stripping around windows and doors, including the garage door. Replace screens with storm windows and clean them if needed.

Gardens

• Fall is the perfect time to divide or move perennials. Remove dead annuals and mulch hardy perennials. Annuals typically die when temperatures drop below freezing. But perennials often appear as though they too have bitten the bullet. That's because their top growth dies back, although in most cases the root ball is hardy enough to survive even extreme temperatures, especially if it's covered with a layer of mulch.
• The best time to mulch perennials is after the first hard freeze. Just make sure you don't cover the crown or center of the plant, because that can lead to rot.
• Clean garden tools before storing for the winter.
• Trim dead branches out the trees to prevent them from coming down and causing damage in a winter storm.

• Lawn Care

  • Rake up the thick layers of leaves that settle on lawn surfaces. Large leaves in particular, especially when they get wet, can compact to the point where they suffocate the grass below and lead to all kinds of insect and disease problems. So it's a good idea to routinely rake or blow them off the lawn or, better yet, use a mulching mower to shred them into fine pieces.
  • Put the raked leaves in the compost pile or use as a mulch. Whatever you do, don't waste fallen leaves because they're an excellent source of nutrients and organic matter. You can also add them to flower beds to put a winter blanket on your garden.
  • Fall is a good time to aerate your lawn; it will allow moisture and nutrients to get into the roots. When you're done, spread fertilizer then grass seed.
  • This will be the ideal time to sow cool-season grasses such as fescue and rye - it will give them the opportunity to germinate and develop a good root system before freezing temperatures arrive. It's also the right time to fertilize turf grasses, preferably with slow-release, all-natural fertilizer. When given adequate nutrients, turf grasses have the ability to store food in the form of carbohydrates during the winter months. That will mean a better-looking lawn come spring.

  Attic Pest Control

  • Pests love attics because they are full of nice warm insulation for nesting, and they offer easy access to the rest of the house. With gable vents that lead into the attic it is a good idea to install a screen behind them to keep those critters out.
  • Even after closing off those entryways, pests can still find a way in. The first place to check for any unwanted guests is under the kitchen cupboards and appliances.

  Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

• Each fall, check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms and put in fresh batteries. These are very important detectors to have in a home. A smoke alarm can save lives in a house fire. A carbon monoxide detector can also save lives if a home has oil or gas-burning appliances, like a furnace or water heater.
• Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless byproduct of burning oil or natural gas, and it can be deadly. For just a few dollars, a carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if the levels get too high.
• Always install carbon monoxide detectors according to manufacturer's instructions. Generally they should be installed near each potential source of carbon monoxide, and within ear shot of the living and sleeping areas.

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How to Pest-Proof Your House in 15 Minutes

Watching the leaves change is arguably the greatest pastime of fall. The worst? Dealing with unwanted house guests—rodents, cockroaches, stinkbugs, spiders, and other insects that are looking for a warm, cozy place to curl up for the winter. Opting for the chemical pest-control sprays at your local hardware store will only pollute your air, and could put you at risk for various types of cancer and nervous system problems. Also, they’re unnecessary. Most pests can be controlled with some do-it-yourself pest-control tricks that take less than 15 minutes and could actually save you money in the long run.
Got a few minutes? Here's what to do:
#1: Set out some sticky traps. It can take all of five minutes to set out glue traps, such as the Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet.
What you'll trap: Anything that crawls—spiders, stinkbugs, roaches, ants, crickets, and silverfish.

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#2: Clean up your kitchen. Set aside 15 minutes of every day to wipe down your countertops with vinegar (vinegar removes odor trails left behind by foraging insects such as ants), put dirty dishes in your dishwasher, sweep your floors, mop up any spills, put away food, and empty your garbage, if needed. On grocery day, transfer any food that comes in a plastic bag from its original packaging to tightly sealed glass jars, particularly grains, rice, pet food, and nuts.
What you'll trap: Pests coming inside looking for a meal, from roaches and ants to rodents, as well as wasps and spiders, which feed on the insects coming indoors looking for food.
#3: Seal up their entry points. This project could take longer than 15 minutes, only because it involves a little bit of hunting. Insects and rodents will use even the tiniest hole to get inside your warm, cozy home, and a tube of low-VOC silicone caulk, which you can find at any hardware store, can be your best friend in sealing up those holes. Pay particular attention to window and door frames, the seal around your external dryer vent, anyplace where pipes enter or leave your home, and anywhere TV or cable wires come inside. Stuff some steel wool into larger holes, or cover them with wire mesh, before sealing them up. The good news? In sealing up all those pest entry points, you'll also be sealing up tiny air leaks that allow precious heat to escape your home during the winter.
What you’ll trap: Every pest that views your house as its new home.
#4: Install a door sweep. Another tool that keeps pests from entering your home and will save you energy this winter, a door sweep blocks the gap between the bottom of your door and the ground. You can buy one at any hardware store, and for a super-easy fix, buy the kind that simply sticks onto the door with an adhesive strip—no drilling needed.
What you’ll trap: As with caulk, every pest that views your house as its new home.
#5: Vacuum. It won’t be possible to seal up every hole or keep every critter from crawling indoors. That’s where a weekly vacuuming session comes in handy. You’ll suck up any crawling insects that make it indoors and trap them before they can get crushed and stink (stinkbugs) or leave stains (some varieties of ladybugs). Plus, if they’re gross—cockroaches—you can vacuum them up without having to squish anything.
What you’ll trap: All crawling insects.
#6: Clear the clutter. In addition to weekly vacuuming, spend 15 minutes a week clearing out piles of newspaper or junk mail and removing piles of clothing from your floors. All these things serve as nice, dark hiding places for insects.
What you’ll trap: Roaches, spiders, stinkbugs, and silverfish.
#7: Fix leaky faucets. Insects need water to survive, and the most common source for them is a drippy faucet. Fixing leaky faucets is a lot easier than you might think and, like sealing up cracks, it’s an insect-control measure that’s good for your wallet and for the planet.
What you’ll trap: Rodents, roaches, and spiders.

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Home Maintenance and Handyman Tips for Living by the Sea

It's a dream life for many, a seaside property, the sun and the sand. However it is a very hard environment for our houses. I own a property maintenance business in a coastal area of NSW Australia, which has given me a great deal of experience with these problems. Hopefully this article will help you identify problems that can occur living by the sea, and give you some guidance in how to prevent unnecessary damage occurring.
Gutters
I see a large number of rusted gutters and downpipes in this area. Rust is a common problem because of the high level of salt that end up on your house. However there are ways to increase the life of your gutters and downpipes. The easiest is to ensure the you clean or have your gutters cleaned at least twice a year. I recommend that gutters are cleaned at the end of Autumn, after the leaves have stopped falling and before the rain in winter, and again at the end of spring and before the fire danger period of summer. Clean gutters will allow the water to drain away and take with it any salt residue. Blocked gutters result in a build up of a salty silt that sits in your gutter and begins to corrode at the paint and metal.
Along with keeping your gutters clean, is making sure they still fall correctly. This means that there are no low points in you gutter where the water will pool and not drain away freely. In heavy rain you may notice your gutters overflowing in a particular area, this is an indication of a possible low spot or blockage. If you gutters appear crooked or uneven to the eye, then you should get them checked and repaired if necessary.
The next points relate to your choice of gutters and up keep. Ensure that you paint your gutters. Not only will this improve the look of your house, it will help to preserve the gutters. If having new gutters installed make sure you do your research. At $50+ per meter of gutter installed you want to make sure that you are buying quality gutters that come with a warranty.
Screen doors, fly screens and security doors
Just like gutters, screen doors, fly screens and  screen doors, are susceptible to rust. But you have bought marine grade stainless steel? While this is a great product, stainless steel does rust. Make sure from time to time you wash your security or fly-screen doors. When replacing fly-screens opt for a nylon based mesh. Although it is not as tough as a wire based product it will have a longer life in a coastal environment
Locks
I have been asked to deal with a number of sticky locks. Coastal environments are very humid. Along with salt residue, a build up of dust inside the lock turns to a virtual glue when combine with the moisture from the air. Generally this is something I only see in old locks or locks in beach front streets. Never be tempted to spray WD40, de-greaser or an oil based lubricant into the lock. Although this may make the lock work in the short term, it will attract more dirt and dust and the lock will seize again. Often the lock just needs a small amount of graphite powder, a carbon based dry lubricant. This will usually get things moving again. If necessary the barrel may need to be removed and be cleaned before the lock returns to normal
Shade sails, umbrellas and fabric awnings
Shade sails, umbrellas and fabric awnings have become a popular and practical architectural feature of many houses. The shade they provide while allowing light and air movement are fantastic. They are also relatively cheap, available in a never ending array of shapes, sizes and colours, and can be taken down or wound in for the cooler months. Wind is the number one enemy of these shade systems. As a licensed shade systems installer, I am aware of the massive forces that they catch. Shade sails are called sails for a reason, and I have seen many a fascia and guttering pulled away, windows broken, sails torn and other damage from a combination of incorrectly installed or incorrectly tensioned shade sails. Unfortunately it isn't as simple as stringing the sail up between a couple of post and screwing it to your house. It is an achievable DIY project but I would emphasize the importance to study up and talk to people about installing them. They may be relatively inexpensive, but they can cause a lot of expensive damage. In relation to umbrellas and awnings - DON'T FORGET TO WIND THEM IN OR TAKE THEM DOWN - they are easily damaged and often repairing them is very difficult and expensive.
Fencing
Fencing is the last thing I will mention. I see a lot of rusted fences because the bottom sheets are in contact with the ground. Most manufacturers specify a particular distance that the panels should be installed from the ground. It is well worthwhile following these directions. I also see a large number of crooked fences that have moved over time. This is often due to the sandy nature of the soil. It is something that is difficult to address, but often installing larger posts deeper into the ground or concreting every third post for example may address the problem and prevent it from occurring. Other issues are things growing up against the fence and pushing it over, or in the case of vines, pulling it down. Again make sure you maintain your fences. Painting or oiling will extend the life of paling or wooden fences. Washing colorbond or other metal fences can also help to extend the life of the fence, although correct installation and installing quality fences with long warranties is probably the best option in my opinion.
So hopefully this has helped some people, or opened their eyes to a few issues that their homes face on the coast. We live in a great environment and with a little work we can avoid the extra hassles that may come up.

Brendan is the owner of Just Fix It Property Maintenance, on the Central Coast of NSW Australia. You can visit the website http://www.justfixitpm.com.au to see the range of services provided by this professional company.

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