Have your furnace, heat pump, or boiler serviced by a professional early in the season.  This lets you beat any upcoming cool weather rush and avoid unpleasant surprises.  (Finding out that your furnace conked out over the summer is much easier to handle when the weather is still mild!)  Make sure filters are replaced or changed as necessary, and keep extra filters on hand.

 

Vacuum baseboard heaters to get rid of dust that can leave smoke marks on walls.  If you used your wood fireplace heavily last year or just can't remember when it was last cleaned, have the fireplace and chimney flue professionally serviced. 

 

 

 

When was the last time that you had your air ducts cleaned?  If it was relatively recently and you don't have a pet, you may not need to have it done again right away, but it is amazing how quickly dust and debris can build up unnoticed.  This is especially true if you've had any remodeling work done, in which case it's a good idea to have the ducts cleaned in order to get rid of any residual construction dust.   

Dryer vents are a common source of home fires, so be sure to clean yours regularly.  This can be done with a do-it-at-home kit as long as you are sure you can reach all of the spots where lint is most likely to collect, which tend to be where the duct bends or loops.  You may also want to remove and clean behind bathroom fan vents.

 

 

 

Believe it or not, a pair of binoculars can come in handy for inspecting your roof as long as you have a vantage point that gives you a good view.  Check for signs of missing or damaged roofing parts, and for problems with flashing around skylights, chimneys, and roof vents.  While you're at it, it's a good idea to inspect exterior siding for any cracks that may need to be caulked.

 

Gutters that overflow and let water drip right next to the foundation can have the effect of hooking up a hose and aiming it into your crawl space or basement!  Debris in the gutters can also cause a nightmare during the first big storm, so it's especially important to make sure that your gutters remain clear and drain properly.

 

(Water in the crawl space can cause long-term structural damage if it remains uncorrected, so it's worth taking all drainage issues seriously.) 

 

 

 

Do you remember the last time you replaced the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors?  Even if it was six months ago, many experts recommend replacing them twice a year, just to be on the safe side. (And, if you're like most people, life is busy enough that it's easier to simply change them out in the spring and fall than to remember exactly the last time you did it! :)

 

This is also a good time to make sure that your fire extinguishers have not expired.  You can find great information about how to choose and care for fire extinguishers at the Fire Extinguisher 101 website.

 

 

 

A Few Fall Yard Tips 

 

  

 

Will it soon be time to store away your lawn mower?  Some experts tell you to drain it completely of gasoline, while others think you will avoid gasket damage by topping off the tank with fuel conditioner.  Everyone seems to agree that you don't want to store your lawnmower partially full of gasoline, which can lead to condensation in the tank.

 

 

 

Prune back any vegetation that comes into contact with your home in order to discourage insects from entering the structure, including the roof.  Now is also the time to prune back dead and diseased branches, but leave any pruning of healthy vegetation for the springtime.

 

 

 

Fall is one of the best times to fertilize your lawn.  Cool-season grasses benefit from being fertilized in both September and November, while experts recommend that warm-season grasses be fertilized once, in the late summer or early fall.

 

 

 

Have your indoor plants been vacationing outside during the balmy weather?  If so, bring houseplants inside before the low temperature reaches 52 degrees.  You may also want to treat them with insecticide to make sure that they don't carry any pests inside with them.

 

 

 

The next time you're looking for a great example of positive thinking, consider Cha Sa-soon, a 69-year-old Korean grandmother who recently became famous after it took her 960 attempts to obtain her Korean driver's license.

 

Born into a poor family, Ms. Cha had little education and made a living selling vegetables door-to-door.  It was in 2005, when she decided she wanted her license so that she could take her grandchildren to the zoo, that her quest began. Over the next five years she took the written driver's test 949 times before passing it, and then failed two different road exams four times each before passing those as well!

 

News reporters picked up Ms. Cha's story last year, and since then she has become a national symbol of perseverance.  Now she's the owner of a brand new car, given to her by Hyundai, and she even appears in a prime-time Hyundai commercial.

 

According to a recent New York Times article, on her wall she has posted a handwritten (and misspelled) sign that appears to explain it all.  It says simply, "Never give up!" 

 

Here's a link to the New York Times article about Cha Sa-soon; it's a really nice read.