One of the best seasons to tackle nearly any home improvement project is autumn. During this time, the weather is pleasant and you’re well-rested after the summer holiday. What’s more, there are projects that you need to do before the first snowflake hits the ground.
Instead of killing time by watching shows on Netflix or cable, get busy by tackling one or more of these autumn home improvement projects:
1. Update Your Home’s Plumbing Fixtures
Replacing the old plumbing fixtures offers a functional benefit to your house. New fixtures allow you to use water in your home more efficiently. This home improvement project will also help you save money and conserve water, which helps minimize the impact on the environment.
If you’re unsure how to go about this project, don’t hesitate to work with a reliable plumbing service provider or technician. They can offer you tips on how to update plumbing fixtures in your bathroom and other areas of your residential property.
2. Do Away with Single-Pane Windows
When wintertime comes, your goal should be to keep the cold air outside your home. This, unfortunately, can be difficult to pull off if you have outdated single-pane windows. This type of window doesn’t keep houses well insulated.
Double-pane windows are a better solution, as they can retain the warmth of your home and stop cooled air from escaping during the summer. This autumn, prepare for the cold season and hire a trusted window installation company to get double-pane windows for your residential property.
3. Upgrade Your Furnace
A standard natural gas furnace usually lasts about 20 years. Periodic maintenance will help the furnace in your house reach that 20-year mark. This doesn’t mean, however, that it will run efficiently the whole time.
Technologies revolving around energy efficiency advance virtually every year, and federal efficiency standards often become more stringent as a reaction. This helps the environment and ultimately saves you money. You pay less for utility services when you have an efficient furnace running in your home.
If your electricity bill has gone up recently, an outdated heating system may be partially to blame. Hire an HVAC technician to check your furnace and recommend a solution.
If your system isn’t too old, a retrofit to improve parts efficiency could be OK. On the other hand, you’ll need a new furnace if your heating system has reached the end of its expected lifespan.
4. Seal Leaks in Your Attic
Warm air rises. If your attic isn’t well-insulated and sealed, you’ll likely pay more than needed to heat your house through the winter. Old insulation, as well as insulation damaged by nuisance wildlife or water intrusion, needs fixing.
Contact an insulation professional to check the current R-value of your attic insulation and suggest the best course of action. Depending on the type and condition of your current insulation, the solution may be as simple as adding another layer of insulation.
5. Have Your Fireplace Cleaned
There’s nothing as comfortable as lounging in front of a warm fireplace during the cold season. The good news is that fireplaces can be a cost-efficient source of heat so long as you maintain them properly.
If you haven’t gotten to cleaning your fireplace, do this during the fall. Hire a professional to clean your fireplace and chimney at least once per year. Early autumn, preferably before the cold temperatures hit your town or city, is an excellent time to have your chimney and fireplace serviced.
When you hire a professional to get the job done, they will inspect the fireplace and chimney for indications of deterioration or cracks. They will also use state-of-the-art tools to get rid of creosote, soot and debris buildup.
6. Protect Your Perennials
Perennial plants give your garden visual appeal and a pop of color. Given that they return every year, perennials are a fantastic, low-maintenance option for newbie gardeners.
Although perennials look great, harsh winter weather can ruin them. Don’t allow this to happen to your garden. Hire a professional landscaper to add more mulch in your flowerbeds to protect your plants from the cold weather.
Adding the right amount of mulch will increase the likelihood of your perennials surviving the icy temperatures during wintertime. What’s more, the mulch can keep hungry critters away from your plants.
7. Replace Missing Shingles
Strong winds or storms can move shingles from their original position or even blow them off completely. If your roof has lost a few shingles, hire a reliable roofing contractor to check the roof and perform the necessary repairs.
Autumn is the perfect time to work on home improvement projects and get your house all prepped for winter. Work on one or more of these seven projects to stay busy and improve your residential property.
