Prepare for Fall and Winter Now!

It's September already, and though the weather may still be quite warm in some places, autumn is around the corner and winter will soon be upon the United States. It's time to prepare for the tropical storms, hurricanes and cold, wet weather.

Where you live determines, to some degree, what you need to do. In colder areas remember to protect against freezing pipes by covering outside and basement pipes with insulation. Do this even if you live in a moderate zone that only occasionally gets cold enough to freeze the pipes because frozen pipes can cause costly damage. Put up the storm windows, insulate around windows, doors and outlets. Consider using plastic sheeting as additional insulation, if you live in an older house, or if you're missing some storm windows.

One important thing to remember is to clean your gutters. Dirty, clogged gutters can cause many problems including rotting eaves, allowing water entry into the house and something that should make anyone take notice: dirty, clogged gutters can provide the perfect environment (and entry into your home) for cockroaches and ants.  Many house painting or landscaping companies provide gutter cleaning services.

Walk around your yard and check for loose boards, worn-out sheds and decks, loose roofing shingles, and unhealthy trees. All of these can be blown off and into windows, through roofs and onto fences or cars during a tropical storm, hurricane or Nor'easter. It's best to take care of these now while the weather is mild and no storm is on the horizon. It's a good idea to locate a tree service company now and call them for a free estimate if you think you have a tree with some problem branches or a tree that needs to be removed. This gives you a chance to get on their customer list and check out their credentials (they should have certification, liability and workers comp) before you need their services at 4am, during a storm.

Even if you can't rebuild your old shed or deck or do all the repairs your house needs, try to single out the most important and put them at the top of your list. Take care of the most urgent first and then work on the others as you have the funds.