Fall Home Maintenance

As magical and beautiful as new homes are, they still need regular maintenance. 

It’s important to protect your investment by regularly inspecting and following good maintenance practices on your new home.

Maintenance can be taken care of by just a few tasks at at time, or several all at once.  We encourage out customers to establish a routine for themselves to avoid the work being overly time-consuming when you are enjoying the beautiful autumn season in Iowa. 

A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur. If necessary, use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later.

Fall is the time in Iowa to get your home ready for the impending winter weather…the most grueling season for homes.

If you haven’t developed your own “Fall Home Maintenance” list, here is one to get you started in 2011:

1.	Have furnace serviced by a qualified service company.
2.	Make sure the drain pan under the cooling coil mounted in the furnace plenum is draining properly and is clean.
3.	Disconnect power to the furnace and examine the forced-air furnace fan belt for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.
4.	Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.
5.	Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
6.	Remove the grilles on forced-air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
7.	Turn ON gas furnace pilot light if your furnace has one.  Set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate.  Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.
8.	Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.
9.	Check bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods to be sure they are operating properly.
10.	Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries
11.	Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.
12.	Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks
13.	Ensure windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weather-stripping, as needed.
14.	Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Replace door weather-stripping if required
15.	Cover outside of air-conditioning units and shut off power.
16.	Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roof, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof
17.	Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close interior valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost-proof hose bibs.
18.	If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
19.	Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.