Fall Maintenance Before the First Freeze

There is a stretch every fall, somewhere between the last warm weekend and the first hard freeze, when outdoor chores are still comfortable and the stakes are about to climb. A hose left attached to an outside faucet, a clogged gutter or a furnace that hasn't run since March doesn't matter much in early October. It matters a great deal on the first night the temperature drops well below freezing.

The trick is timing. Some fall jobs are easier while it's still mild, some make more sense after the leaves come down, and a few have to happen right before the cold arrives. Here is one way to sequence them. If you live somewhere without hard freezes, many of these tasks still apply, just with less urgency.

Early fall: seal the outside while it's still warm

Many caulks, sealants and exterior paints need mild temperatures to cure properly, so check the label and get these jobs done before nights turn cold.

Walk around the house and look at every spot where two materials meet: window and door trim, corners of siding, and places where pipes, cables and vents pass through the wall. Cracked or missing caulk lets in water and drafts, and it gives mice and insects an easy way inside. Scrape out the old material and apply fresh caulk suited to the job.

Touch up peeling paint on wood trim, especially on the lower edges of doors and windowsills where water sits. Inspect a wood deck for loose boards and popped nails, and consider cleaning and sealing it if water no longer beads on the surface.

Look at the roof from the ground with binoculars. Missing or damaged shingles are much easier to get repaired now than after the first snow, when roofers are busier and working conditions are worse. Leave the actual repairs to a licensed roofer.

Mid fall: the heating system and chimney

Test your heat before you need it. Switch the thermostat to heat on a cool day and let it run through a full cycle. A faint dusty smell the first time is common as dust burns off the burners or heating elements. A smell like rotten eggs is not.

Replace the furnace or air handler filter, and schedule a professional tune-up if it's been a while. A technician can check burners, the heat exchanger, venting and safety controls, which is work that should never be a DIY project. If you have a boiler or heat pump, the same idea applies: get it looked at before the busy season.

If you use a fireplace or wood stove, have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a qualified chimney professional. Creosote buildup and blocked flues are serious fire and carbon monoxide risks. Check that the damper opens and closes smoothly and that a cap keeps animals and debris out of the flue.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors now, too. Heating season is when carbon monoxide risks go up, since fuel-burning equipment runs for hours at a time with windows closed.

Late fall: leaves, gutters and the yard

Wait until most leaves have dropped, then clean the gutters. Cleaning them too early often means doing it twice. Flush each downspout with a hose to make sure it runs clear, and check that extensions send water well away from the foundation.

If gutters are high off the ground or the roof is steep, hire a pro. Ladder falls are a real risk, and cold, wet leaves make every surface slippery.

In the yard, fall suits several lawn jobs in regions with cool-season grasses, such as aerating and overseeding. What works depends on your grass type and climate, so a local extension office or lawn care company is a good source for timing. Keep mowing until growth stops, and don't let a thick mat of leaves sit on the lawn all winter.

Trim shrubs and small branches away from the siding and roof. Large limbs, and anything near power lines, are jobs for an arborist or the utility.

Before storing the mower and other gas-powered tools, follow each manual's instructions for off-season storage.

The week before the first freeze

Watch the forecast. When the first hard freeze is coming, these jobs move to the top of the list.

Disconnect every garden hose from outside faucets. A hose left attached can trap water in the faucet, where it can freeze and split the pipe inside the wall. Drain the hoses and store them.

If your outdoor faucets have separate shutoff valves inside the house, close them, then open the outside faucets to let the remaining water drain out. Frost-free faucets are designed to drain on their own, but only when the hose is removed.

Irrigation systems need to be drained or blown out before freezing weather. Blowing out lines with compressed air can damage components if done wrong, so many homeowners hire an irrigation contractor for this step.

Look for pipes in unheated spaces such as crawlspaces, garages and exterior walls. Foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and easy to install on exposed pipes you can reach. Seal gaps where cold air blows directly onto pipes.

A freeze-eve checklist

• Disconnect, drain and store all garden hoses
• Close interior shutoffs to outdoor faucets and drain the lines
• Drain the irrigation system or schedule a professional blowout
• Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, garages and basements
• Close foundation vents if your home's design and local practice call for it
• Confirm the heating system runs and the filter is fresh
• Find the main water shutoff and make sure it turns
• Bring in or cover outdoor furniture and store patio cushions
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

What to hand off to a professional

Some fall jobs are easy to underestimate. Leave these to licensed pros:

• Furnace and boiler service, and anything involving gas lines or venting
• Chimney inspection and cleaning
• Roof repairs and anything that requires walking on the roof
• Electrical work, including panel issues or adding outdoor circuits
• Tree work near power lines or large limbs over the house
• Pest control involving pesticides, which is regulated differently from state to state

Permit, licensing and code requirements vary by state and city, so ask contractors how they handle those where you live.

Planning past the first frost

Fall prep sets up the rest of the cold season. Once the freeze-eve list is done, the next step is full winterizing: drafts, pipes and heating habits that carry you through to spring. HomeIsSecure's homeowner guides cover that next stage and the rest of the year in the same straightforward way.