Register with Evanston
to recieve the latest Evanston updates.
Search Our Site
Register with Evanston
to recieve the latest Evanston updates.
October 30, 2017 | by admin
After a beautiful summer, the leaves are changing, and the warm temperatures we have become accustomed to are being substituted for cooler weather. It’s time to dig out your jackets, fall has arrived! Getting warmer clothing is an obvious choice, for the changing seasons, but what about your home? To get the most out of your home throughout the fall and winter, it is important to take steps to get your home organized and prepared. There are a number of important steps you need to take to ensure your home is ready to head into the cooler temperatures and remain a comfortable living space for the coming months.
Outside your home
Preparing your yard, as well as the outside of your home, is important heading into the fall. Making sure your home and its surroundings are prepared goes a long way to ensuring that your home avoids the damage caused by winter elements. It also allows your yard to rebound at full-health to turn lush and green in the spring.
Gather up your leaves & clean the eaves
The first step to getting ready for winter is cleaning out your eavestroughs and downspouts; making sure they are clear from leaves and other debris that accumulate over the year. This is important at this time of year, as leaves that have fallen off trees likely have found their way into your downspouts. Cleaning out your downspouts will ensure that melting snow and other forms of winter precipitation have somewhere to flow when snow melts either in the spring or when there is a Chinook! This mitigates the risk of flooding for your home. Once the eaves and downspouts are clean, it’s time to get dirty.
Curb appeal matters all year long
For most people, the lawn is just a summer maintenance project to maintain your home’s curb appeal for guests and neighbours. However, the lawn is also a critical part of your property that needs to be taken into consideration. Begin by raking the leaves and giving it one final cutting with your mower. All of the grass and leaves that are collected can be composted or dropped off at a community recycling station.
It is important to fertilize your lawn with winter fertilizer, purchasable at most home and garden centres. This fertilizer will help protect your lawn from the cold, allowing it to come back in the spring revitalized and greener sooner.
Clean out the garden
Growing your own produce is a fantastic idea. However once the season is over, you need to do some quick garden cleaning to make sure everything is ready to start fresh once the snow is gone in the spring. Pick any pesky weeds that may be lingering in the garden and pull out any of the plants that won’t survive. Make sure to compost all of those gardening scraps in your green bin!
Give your water system a rest
Water is an important resource, but in the winter, it can do more harm than good. Heading into the fall, make sure to turn off your outside water source after the last watering. This will ensure no water freezes in your hose or water line, causing expansion or damage to your water system. It will also decrease the likelihood of ice accumulation from consistent drips. If you have a rain barrel at your home such as the ones every new homeowner is entitled too who lives in a Qualico Community, now is the time to use the remaining water. Pour it over the lawn or use it to clean your flower pots or sidewalk. Rain barrels should be stored in a shed or garage throughout the winter to avoid damage. Emptying your rain barrel ensures no musty or stinky water accumulates over the winter while it is stored away.
Indoors
Once the outside of your home is prepared, it’s time to head inside to warm up and finish your fall preparation checklist! The indoor home prep process is a lot quicker and a lot easier for you to tackle so that you can cozy up under a blanket before the cold arrives.
The engine heating your home
Begin with your furnace. The furnace is the engine that heats your home all winter and moves fresh, clean air throughout every room. Because it plays such a crucial role in keeping your home warm, it is important to maintain it heading into the winter. Switch out the air filter so that it can push clean, fresh air through the home and run the furnace a few times to test it out and make sure it is good to go. The last thing you need is for your furnace to be broken on the first cold day! With a properly functioning furnace, you can move on to the next piece of home prep.
Keep the heat in and the cold out
As you head into the chilly months of fall, make sure you keep the cold air out and the warm air in while you and your family get cozy around the fire! Make sure you check the seals around all of your homes windows and doors. Over time, these seals tend to wear out, inviting more exterior elements into your home. Use clear caulking, purchasable from any hardware store, to quickly go over any old or loose seals surrounding windows or doors. Once it dries, it will be practically invisible and will keep the warm in and the cold out.
Additionally, proper seals will help you save money on your energy bill year round as the efficiency of your furnace or air conditioning will be maximized as there is less temperature gain/loss through your seals.
Days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping every single day. Fall is here and winter is not far away. Before the temperatures drop below freezing, make sure you prepare your home to withstand winter’s cold and the natural elements that come with it. Inside and out, taking the right steps to get your home ready for the season will make sure your family can live comfortably and warm all winter long while ensuring your yard will awaken, revitalized and green in the coming spring!
StreetSide Developments has been building homes for over 28 years. We have the honour of constructing the place in the world where our owners feel most like themselves. It’s why we build one way, and one way only — to the highest level of quality, because we aren’t just building homes, we’re building your home.