Tips for Fall, Are you Ready?

Truly I feel like summer just began and I am not ready for fall in any way. I am going to have to move to a climate where summer lasts a few more months. Except I love fall and all it brings and I still get excited over the first snowfall in winter. I give up I just love all the seasons.

As we think about fall and getting our homes prepared, I have some helpful tips to read over.

It is time to trim your trees and hedges back before the winter can break them with the load of snow. It is a great time to do this, no flies and cooler temperatures make is easier.

Mow your lawn one last time and clear away any debris left on the lawn. Now is the time to research out the proper fertilizer for our climate and you type of lawn. Begin by checking with Darren Marshall and Krista McAllister or any of their competent staff at Mayfield Greenhouse here in St. Stephen and asking for their help in choosing the right product, (www.mayfieldgardens.ca). Any landscape business should have someone with the correct information for you. Ask lots of questions, it’s your lawn and I know how hard it is to keep it looking good.

It’s now time to store your lawn equipment away properly. Remove all the gas or add a conditioner for cold weather. Take out the sparkplugs and then wipe the machine down. Make sure it is dry and clean before you finish. It may seem like a lot of extra right now but when spring arrives you will appreciate it starting on the first try. These few steps will extend the life of your mower too.

I read an article about filling in all the little openings around your house before cold weather. Apparently if you measure and add up all these little places you may have an opening as large as a hole three feet square. Can you imagine how much cold air can come in through that space and how much hard earned cash can fly out that opening?  I guess we better pay more attention to the little details with the price of heat this year. My grandfather always said it was as important to look after the pennies as it was the dollars. So let’s go buy the correct caulking and weather stripping and begin inspecting your home. Places to begin are around windows and doors, dryer vents, anywhere there has been an opening made in your home.

Let’s take time to inspect our roof. You may even want a professional to look it over as well. Check for loose shingles, the flashing around the chimney, then see if there are any cracks in the valleys and if needed get the correct roofing cement for the repairs. Don’t be on a ladder unless you are able to climb and never attempt any of this alone. The buddy system works very nicely.

Last but not least. Make sure your gutters and clean ad water can flow well away from your home. This one small detail can bring a huge amount of problems if not cared for properly. You can expect flooded basements and foundation breakdown as well as damaged landscaping,  all of these costly to repair. Clean the gutters of all debris and use your hose to flush water though to check if it flows well. If you have trees around your home, you may find gutter guards helpful to keep the leaves from filling the gutter.

These few suggestions may make your life easier and even save you money in the long run.