3 Ways to Prepare your Home for Fall and Protect your Investment

It’s Labor Day weekend, meaning fall will be here before you know it. The change of seasons means more rain for many of us, which puts your home at risk for water damage if any of its essential water-protection systems aren’t quite up to snuff. You should try inspecting rain gutters on your home before this fall!

Read on for three key steps you can take to make sure that you protect your home. Make sure you’re ready for whatever this autumn has to dish out.

Soon you can enjoy the hot cider and football games instead of worrying about water leaks.

Step 1: Check your Roof

Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements, so keeping it in top shape needs to be a top priority.

Roofing experts recommend inspecting your roof at least twice a year, in the spring and fall, and more often after terrible weather or if conditions add extra hazards to your roof, such as overhanging trees.

Click here for instructions for inspecting your roof, or call a professional if you don’t feel safe climbing on your roof yourself.

Growths such as moss and lichen can damage your roof and lead to costly water leaks. Using bleach to clean your roof can damage some shingles, corrode your downspouts and kill your lawn with caustic runoff.

Plus, one wrong move with a pressure washer can tear your shingles or rain gutters loose. Wet & Forget Outdoor kills moss, lichen, algae, mold, and mildew with no scrubbing, bleaching, or pressure washing needed.

Wet & Forget Outdoor’s gentle formula is safe to use on any roof and won’t corrode your downspouts or kill your lawn. No wonder Larry F. was so thrilled with the results he got when he cleaned his roof with Wet & Forget Outdoor!

Click here for more information.

Step 2: Inspecting Rain Gutters and Downspouts

Your rain gutters and downspouts have the very important job of taking all the rainwater that comes from your roof and channeling it away from your basement and your home’s foundation.

If they have a clog, are loose, bent, or not hanging properly, you could wind up with a wet basement or even cracks in your foundation that could cost you a massive amount of money.

The Foundation Repair Association recommends checking your rain gutters and downspouts at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. This includes cleaning them and checking the slopes of the rain gutters to ensure they are draining correctly.

They also recommend installing downspouts that release rainwater a minimum of five feet away from your home’s foundation.

Click here for instructions for cleaning and inspecting your rain gutters and downspouts, and check out the video above for some tips from home improvement guru Gary Sullivan.

Step 3: Check your Deck

Your deck is the perfect spot to relax, and it’s also a big part of your investment in your home. This is the ideal time to show your deck some TLC and ensure it’s prepared for fall’s wetter weather and winter’s chill.

Click here for details on how to keep your deck ship shape.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Check out these 4 DIY fall scents! Click here. 

Photos courtesy of Catfisheye and Magnus Manske.