Tag Archives: prepping your home for fall

Easy Essentials Fall Outdoor Decorating

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Pumpkins near the door during Halloween season

Just like that another summer has come and is almost (unfortunately) gone. Good things fall has tons of positives to offer! Football season, pumpkin flavored everything, changing leaves, sweater weather and more! Before you know it will be time to start decorating for fall, here are a few easy suggestions on how to make your exterior look festive for the new season.

  1.   Line your steps with different colored and sizes of gourds and pumpkins. This will liven up the colors of your outside area.
  2.  Mums come in a variety of colors and sizes. Choose one or two colors from a uniform look or go wild and get as many colors you can find. Display your mums in different ways like a wagon, bushel basket, wheelbarrow or an old caldron.
  3.  Once fall comes around you will begin to see dried corn used a decoration of choice for many. Indian corn adds color and texture to any setting. Tie a few cobs together for a simple arrangement to hang out your door or porch railing.
  4. Haybales are a fall staple. They look good by themselves and offer up extra seating or they are good for adding different levels of height to your exterior display.
  5.  Mix up the colors, and by mixing up we are inferring it does not all have to be orange. Make a statement by adding white, green, yellow or red.
  6.  And finally, add a festive fall wreath to your door! If you don’t end up doing any other decorating, at least do this to put your family and guests in the fall mood every time they walk in the door.

From everyone here at P&D Builders, LTD., have a wonderful fall season!

Preparing Your Home for Fall

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Pumpkins near the door during Halloween season

Fall is here! The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are starting to change and everyone seems to be loving it. The time has come to finish up any last-minute summer maintenance projects and get your home and yard ready for follow. We have some quick and easy tips to get your home clean, warm and ready for fall (and the dreaded early winter days).

Outside

  • Clean out the gutters. Everyone’s least favorite job but now is one of the most important times to be doing it. A few hours of work can prevent big problems later one. While you are up there, give the roof a good look to look for any damaged shingles, flashing or vents. You should also inspect the chimney.
  • Turn off outdoor plumbing. When the time is right and those hopes of random warm days are over, drain outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems, and cover them to protect them from freezing during the winter.
  • Clean outdoor furniture and gardening tools. It may not be quite time to put them away yet but go ahead and make sure your outdoor furniture and gardening tools are cleaned up and ready for storage.
  • Plant bulbs for spring-blooming flowers. Spring will be here before we know it, hopefully. So be prepared by planting bulbs this month, as soon as the soil has cooled down, you will reap big rewards next spring. If you’ve ever planted bulbs before, select a spot in your yard that gets full sun during the day.

Inside

  • Prepare your furnace. Visually inspect your furnace and replace the furnace filter before turning it on for the first time. If you want, you can go the extra step to get it professionally looked at before it gets too cold.
  • Clean the fireplace and chimney. Clean out the fireplace, make sure the flue is operating properly, and that doors and shields are sound. Then, stock up on firewood!
  • Keep the warm air inside and the cold air outside. Inspect your windows and doors. If you are feeling cold air come in through the cracks, the weather stripping isn’t doing its job. Now would be the time to re-caulk around the windows and door casings if needed before you spend too much on your heating bill.
  • Light the way. Bring as much light into your home as you can for the colder, darker months. To accentuate natural light, clean your windows and blinds, especially in rooms that get a lot of sunlight. Add lighting to darker spaces easily with new lamps and consider replacing tradition incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.
  • Create a mudroom or drop zone. As the weather gets colder, it is going to require more layers. If you do not have a designated mudroom, it is time to think about creating an area where those coming and going from the home can drop their things or extra layers. Also put down an indoor/outdoor run to protect the floor.

These are a few quick and easy projects to begin preparing your space for all. Once you have checked a couple of these off the list then it is time to sit back and enjoy the season in your warm home.

Prepping your Home for Fall and Winter

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Prepping your home for fall

The fall season is so beautiful here in Ohio! The trees are turning beautiful shades of red and orange, the air is crisp and the smell of pumpkin is just about everywhere you turn! This time of year also means that the cold winter is just around the corner which means that it is time to start prepping your home. Here is a fall checklist you can follow over the next couple weekends (while the temps are still manageable) to help get your home cozy and ready for the winter.

  • Prep your landscape– The roots in the grass keep growing until the ground gets down to about 40 degrees so it is important to keep it nourished. It is recommended that you apply a high-phosphorus (12-25-12) mix to encourage healthy roots. Come spring time, your grass will be green and vibrant. This is also a great time to trim trees and shrubs.
  • Install outdoor lighting– As the winter months approach the sunset becomes earlier and earlier. It is important that the lighting around your home or garage is adequate should you need to take the trash out late when there is little to no light around. This ensures safety for you and your holiday guests as well.
  •  Freeze-proof exterior faucets– The faucet to your outdoor watering hose is the one faucet that is most susceptible to extremely cold weather. Replace your outdoor hose faucet with a freeze-proof faucet to avoid any freezing of pipes.
  • Weather-proof windows and doors– a door’s weather seals can rip, compress, bend or even wear out over time, leaving small gaps for cold air to come in. Replace any broken or ripped seals, caulk around the windows where there are small gaps. You do not want the heat escaping your home this can become very costly in terms of energy expenses.
  • Have your HVAC systems inspected– Before the cold weather gets here and you find yourself cranking up the heat, make sure to have your furnace inspected. Without this yearly cleaning and inspection, the system can wears itself out quickly, pump deadly carbon monoxide into your home or simply stop working. Also make sure to change your furnace filter. You will see a huge difference in the air quality and it will run more efficiently.
  • Clean your gutters– As the leaves begin to fall you will find a leaf build up in your gutters and it is important to remove any leaves, nests, and other debris that may have accumulated over the year. If your gutters are clogged and rain turns to ice it can begin to weigh heavy on your gutters causing them to fail. If it snows the water will have no where to flow once it melts. Hire a professional or clean them yourself before it gets too cold.
  • Repair any damaged walk areas– It can become very dangerous if your sidewalks and walkways around your home are broken or uneven, especially when the snow and ice come. Make sure to repair any walkways to ensure safety for your family and holiday guests.

When your home is prepped for the colder months, it can be a lot less of a hassle going into the brutal winter months. This will ensure a peace of mind knowing you have prepared your home for any mishaps that winter can throw your way.