#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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