As summer ends, our minds turn to all things Autumn. Along with tailgates, fire pits, apple picking and pumpkin-spiced everything, Autumn is also the perfect time for home maintenance tasks that could take a little time, but save you a whole lot of money. Even if you have homeowners’ insurance, small damages to your home may evade your deductible and some larger damages may not even be covered.
So here are our recommendations for 3 easy home maintenance tasks to address in the coming months to make sure your home is safe and protected this season.
Clean the Gutters
Cleaning the gutters is a chore often forgotten...until there’s a problem. But those little clogged gutters can lead to big problems including leaks, unwelcome critters, and even cracks in your foundation. Since gutters are primarily considered a maintenance-related part of a house, homeowners are expected to maintain proper upkeep, so any kind of gutter related damage may not be covered by insurance.
Gutters should generally be cleaned twice a year, particularly during the Autumn months. If you can’t or don’t want to do the job yourself, there are plenty of gutter-cleaning contractors that will do the job. Keeping your gutters clean is time and money well-spent.
Trim Back the Trees
There’s nothing more beautiful than a tree in all of its splendid, vibrant, Fall glory. Unless it’s too close to your house. Trees that are brushing up against or too close to your house can do a real number on your home.
The best advice is to proactively trim the trees. In the event a tree falls, causing structural damage to your home, it will likely be covered, but any sort of minor cosmetic damages probably will not. Even worse, tree removal can be a costly procedure, and removing large branches off of your home can be a big headache.
Prevent any damages, big or small, costly or pesky, by making sure your trees are planted 15-20 feet from the foundation of your home, and by trimming their branches so that they’re at least 5-6 feet away from your home.
Inspect the Attic
Even though you probably only go up to the attic once a year to grab the holiday decorations, the attic can be a huge problem area in every home, and as such should be inspected regularly. The attic is not only liable to be damaged from aforementioned trees, but it can be the epicenter of minor leaks that turn into major problems.
A faulty roof can cause a multitude of water damage issues like water condensation, ice dams, and frost build-up. Before you have water stains on your ceiling and mold in your attic, climb up there and take a good look around to make sure your home is dry and damage free.
All of these tasks are small projects which can be done in one afternoon. So find yourself a free Saturday to get your home ready for whatever the weather has in store this Fall.
For more information about homeowner’s insurance and reducing your risk for home and property damage, reach out to your experts at PFGI at 610-422-3530.