#44 Your Home in Autumn's Embrace
Almost all of us enjoy the
beautiful colors that Autumn brings to our Lake County landscapes. It’s almost bittersweet as it also signals
the close of Summer fun, the height of our fall harvests and the first chilly
nights. After complaining about the heat,
we will soon be complaining about the heating bill!
The embrace of Autumn this
year includes a big bear hug of responsibility concerning handling the impacts
we endured through harsh Spring and Summer heat and fires. There’s much to do in the aftermath – much to
accomplish before the rain sets in. Some
of us suffered significant and direct personal loss. Some escaped the flames yet experienced the marginal
effects of extreme and devastating heat and smoke on landscape, structures,
plant and animal life.
The entirety of a property – house,
garage, outbuildings, pet or livestock shelters and landscaping – weathers more
quickly and harshly with normal weather patterns as it is. Adding extreme heat from nearby flames carrying
smoke, hot embers and ash to already weathering environments, presents
extraordinary maintenance challenges.
Bracing for the Winter months
includes making sure your entire property is ready!
General cleanup outside should
include pruning and removing dead branches that become treacherous with Winter
wind and rain – made more so with fire damage, direct or indirect. Clearing shrubbery debris that clogs water
run-off paths and culvert drainage systems is important. Stoppages from clogs make even minor flood
spots on your property worse.
Checking roof and gutter
systems before the rain begins will eliminate the big headache when repairs
have to happen after-the-fact, under wet and windy circumstances.
Consider having chimneys
swept before you want the coziness of your fireplaces! And, for mechanical heating systems, clean
and/or replace filters.
If you plan decorative
lighting for the holiday season, check the electrical elements ahead of time to
avoid the danger of amateur electrical puttering in wet weather!
Winter prep checklists for
homeowners vary widely, of course, according to where you are located, the
style of homestead, the presence of additional structures for pets or
livestock, proximity to neighbors and the kind of terrain. So, there just is no one-size-fits-all master
list! What’s important is to look
carefully at what is appropriate – and possibly unique – about your particular
property. Think about what can be
adversely affected (and how) in harsh Winter weather.
For instance, the drainage
challenges are significant on steep, wooded terrain, and require drainage
planning that is quite different than on flatland neighborhood locations.
In “neighborhoods,” municipal
drainage systems usually handle most normal rainfall drainage volume. However, the smaller drainage issues on your
property depend on your initiative.
Many of your Autumn preps for
the Winter directly relate to Spring. Consider Tulips! Some folks dig them up and re-plant in the
Spring. Others tuck them under a blanket
of mulch to sleep away the Winter cold.
The timing of some pruning, of Roses and other shrubs, can greatly
influence their Spring thrive.
Inside your home there are
many small seasonal preps that make good sense. Inspect “insulation points” where heat
escapes and can really affect heating costs.
Space under external doorways is a place to check for drafts. Pet access doors should seal reasonably for
Woof or Meow’s coming and going!
Caring for your own home in
the context of seasonal changes is directly related to protecting its value
growth! That value escalation depends on excellent
maintenance, both interior and exterior aspects, in all seasons. It’s up to you!
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