Fall is your last chance to protect the house before freeze-thaw cycles, ice, and cold start causing damage. Miss these tasks and you'll pay for it in spring.
Fall's #1 maintenance task. Clean once in October and again after full leaf drop in November. Clogged winter gutters cause ice dams, fascia rot, and foundation flooding — three expensive problems with one easy prevention.
Use an extension ladder with a standoff stabilizer so the ladder rests against the fascia board, not the gutter trough. Never lean a ladder on gutter sections — it's unstable and dents aluminum gutters. Wear rubber-soled shoes, work gloves, and have a spotter on the ground. Move the ladder frequently rather than reaching more than arm's length to either side.
Work from the far end toward the downspout, scooping out leaves, muck, and shingle granules with a plastic scoop or gloved hand. Drop debris onto a tarp below — don't push it toward the downspout, as wet leaf masses compact and cause the worst clogs. Pay attention to inside corners and downspout inlets where debris concentrates.
Insert the hose into each downspout and run it at full pressure. Water should flow freely out the bottom and the extension. If water backs up through the top opening, the downspout is clogged — use a plumber's snake or high-pressure nozzle to break it up. Ensure downspout extensions direct water at least 5–6 feet from the foundation. Splash blocks should slope away from the house.
While water is flowing, watch for any sections where water drips through seams or overflows where it shouldn't. Check hanger screws — tighten any that are pulling out. Seal leaking seams with gutter sealant from inside the trough channel. Ensure every section still has the correct pitch (¼" slope per 10 feet toward the downspout) — sections that hold standing water will ice up all winter.
A poorly sealed exterior door is like leaving a window cracked all winter. Replacing worn weatherstripping and door sweeps takes an hour per door, costs $15–$30, and pays back in lower heating bills immediately.
The dollar bill test: close the door on a piece of paper currency. Try to pull the paper out — you should feel real resistance. If it slides out easily, that part of the door seal needs work. Test at multiple points around the door: both sides, the top, and across the bottom. Mark failed spots with tape.
The door stop is the thin strip of wood the door closes against inside the frame. Foam tape compresses over time and flattens. Peel off the old foam completely, clean the surface with rubbing alcohol, and apply new self-adhesive foam tape. For a more durable solution, use V-strip (tension seal) weatherstripping — it doesn't compress flat and lasts 5–10 years.
Look at the bottom of the door — there should be a sweep, either a rubber flap, brush strip, or U-channel. If it's worn, split, or missing, replace it. Automatic door bottoms ($25–$45) are the best option — they lift when the door opens and drop to seal when it closes, working perfectly on uneven thresholds. Screw-on sweeps work well on flat thresholds.
If the door doesn't close snugly against all weatherstripping, the door itself may be warped or the strike plate may need adjustment. Tighten all hinge screws — a sagging door from loose hinge screws is the most common cause of poor sealing along the latch side. For persistent gaps at the top corner, the door may need shimming behind the top hinge to pull it back into square.
Furnace failures don't happen at convenient times — they happen during the first cold snap of the season. A filter change and pro inspection in September means you're prepared before the HVAC service calendar fills up.
Turn off the furnace before changing the filter. Locate the air handler/furnace cabinet filter slot — usually a large rectangular slot at the return air intake before the blower. Note the size and arrow direction (arrows point in the direction of airflow, toward the blower). Install a MERV 8–11 rated filter — higher MERV ratings increase filtration but reduce airflow, which can stress older furnaces.
Turn the thermostat to Heat mode and set it 5°F above room temperature. Verify: the furnace ignites within 30–60 seconds, warm air flows from supply vents within 2–3 minutes, and the system runs a complete cycle and shuts off normally. Any unusual sounds (banging, screeching, grinding), smells (burning dust is normal first startup, burning plastic or metallic smells are not), or error codes on the control board should be diagnosed before cold weather.
Walk your basement and check visible duct sections for gaps, separations, or disconnected joints. A joint with visible gaps where sections meet can waste 20–30% of your heated air into unconditioned spaces. Seal duct gaps with UL-listed foil tape (not standard duct tape, which fails over time) or mastic sealant. Well-sealed, insulated ducts are the cheapest efficiency upgrade in most homes.
Ensure there's at least 3 feet of clear space around the furnace — combustible materials too close to the unit are a fire hazard. Check the furnace flue pipe for rust, gaps at joints, or disconnected sections. For high-efficiency (90%+) furnaces, the plastic PVC vent pipes should be clear of blockages at the exterior termination and free of cracks or loose fittings inside.
Water left in irrigation lines freezes, expands, and cracks PVC fittings, poly pipe, and backflow preventers. A proper winterization takes 30–60 minutes and prevents hundreds of dollars in spring repairs.
Locate the main irrigation shutoff valve (typically in the basement near where the irrigation line taps into the main supply). Shut it off completely. For systems with a backflow preventer, close both shutoff handles on the backflow device. Disable the irrigation controller or set it to "off" or "rain" mode so no zones can accidentally activate.
If your system has manual drain valves at low points (typically small yellow, green, or white caps on a tee fitting), open each one and let gravity drain the lines. Open the drain at the backflow preventer as well. Manual draining removes most water in systems with that feature but rarely removes all water from every line — especially zone lateral lines at various grades.
Connect the air compressor blow-out adapter to the irrigation blow-out port (or temporarily to a hose bibb connection). Activate one zone at a time from the controller while the compressor runs. Run each zone until no mist exits the heads — typically 30–60 seconds per zone for rotors, 15–20 seconds for sprays. Never blow out more than one zone at a time and never run a zone without sprinkler heads activated — excess backpressure damages pipes and zone valves.
Above-ground backflow preventers are highly vulnerable to freezing — their brass bodies can crack even at 30°F since they hold trapped water. Wrap the entire unit with insulating foam pipe wrap and cover with an insulating cover (foam or fiberglass). Never cover a backflow preventer with an airtight bag — condensation causes corrosion. Remove the insulation cover in spring to allow it to breathe.