Pest-Proofing the Attic Before Cooler Weather Comes

There are certain signs of fall we all look forward to: cooler nights, the first leaves changing, apple cider, and football on the weekends. And then there are the signs you’d rather not encounter, like scratching, scurrying or thumping coming from somewhere above your ceiling.

Once the weather starts getting colder, we’re not the only ones thinking about staying warm. Mice, squirrels, bats and other critters start looking for protected places to spend the colder months, and a warm, dry attic can be pretty appealing.

I’m certainly not an exterminator, but as a roofer, I spend a fair amount of time in attics. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the mess animals can make once they get inside. They can tear up and nest in insulation, chew on wood and wiring, leave behind droppings, and create some pretty unpleasant odors. Squirrels and other animals can also damage vents, soffits and other parts of the roof while getting in and out. A small entry point can eventually turn into a much bigger home repair. That’s why this is a good time of year to do a little prevention.

Start outside, but don’t expect to find every tiny opening an animal could squeeze through. From the ground, you’re really looking for the more obvious trouble spots: damaged or missing soffit, loose fascia, broken vent covers, damaged siding or anything along the roofline that looks like it has shifted or deteriorated.

Tree branches are worth a look, too. If they’re hanging directly over or touching your roof, they can give squirrels and other animals a pretty convenient route onto the house.

Then, if you can safely access your attic, take a look around inside. One of the easiest things to spot is daylight coming through somewhere it shouldn’t. You can also look for disturbed insulation, droppings, nesting materials, or evidence that something has been chewing. Pay attention to the areas around vents, pipes, wiring and other places where something passes through the roof or an exterior wall.

Your garage and basement deserve a look as well. Check weatherstripping around doors and look around pipes, cables and utility lines for gaps.

The important thing to remember is that animals don’t need a wide-open door. Some can get through surprisingly small spaces. So you’re probably not going to walk around your yard and identify every possible mouse-sized opening in your house. The goal is to find damaged or vulnerable areas and take care of them before something else takes advantage.

Some fixes are simple DIY projects. Replace worn weatherstripping. Secure a loose vent cover. Keep garage doors closed when you aren’t using them. Store firewood away from the house, clean up spilled birdseed, and avoid leaving pet food outside overnight.

Other repairs, particularly anything involving the roof, high soffits or fascia,  are better left to someone who can safely reach them and knows what they’re looking at.

If you already suspect you have an animal living in the attic, that’s when I’d call a wildlife or pest professional rather than simply plugging the hole. You don’t want to trap an animal inside, and you definitely don’t want to seal young animals inside while their mother is outside.

Remember, once we get our first stretch of genuinely cold weather, animal professionals get a whole lot busier. If you’ve been hearing noises or seeing signs that something has moved in, or you’ve had problems in the past, don’t wait until November to deal with it.

Fall home maintenance is mostly about staying one step ahead of winter. Clean the gutters. Check the roof. Put away the hoses. And while you’re at it, make sure you’re not unknowingly offering free winter accommodations to the neighborhood wildlife.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Have a question? Email info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” For your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for general guidance only.

A Second Chance at Gardening

By mid-August, a lot of us have started to move on from the garden. The tomatoes are coming in faster than we can eat them, the zucchini plants have reached prehistoric proportions, and anything we enthusiastically planted back in May is either thriving, bolting, or looking a little worse for wear. So if you’re tempted to pull what’s finished, put away the gardening gloves, and call it a season, it’s understandable.

Here in Connecticut, August is actually a great time to give your vegetable garden a second act. There’s plenty of growing season left, and a whole group of vegetables would much rather grow during the cooler days ahead than battle July heat. The trick is choosing the right things.

Radishes are probably the easiest place to start, and many varieties are ready in about a month, which means you can plant them now and potentially squeeze in another round after that. They’re also great for kids because you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to see whether your efforts were worth it.

Leaf lettuce and arugula are other easy wins. Both grow quickly, and as temperatures begin to drop, they don’t have to battle the heat that can make lettuce bitter or cause greens to bolt.

Spinach is another good late-summer crop and can tolerate surprisingly chilly temperatures once fall arrives. Kale is even tougher. A little frost can actually improve kale’s flavor, so don’t assume the first cold night means everything in the vegetable garden is finished.

If you move quickly, you can also plant carrots, beets and turnips. Look for varieties with shorter “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet. Smaller carrots and root vegetables are perfectly good consolation prizes if Mother Nature decides to send us an early freeze.

Bok choy and other Asian greens are particularly good choices for this time of year. Many struggle during hot weather but thrive as the days get shorter and cooler. Peas are worth a shot, too, although they’re a bit more of a gamble. Choose a fast-growing variety, get them planted soon, and see what happens. Gardening has never come with a money-back guarantee.

And then there’s garlic, which plays by slightly different rules. Rather than planting it now for a fall harvest, you’ll want to put garlic in the ground later this fall, generally sometime in October or early November, once the weather has cooled but before the ground freezes solid. Plant individual cloves a few inches deep with the pointy end facing up, cover them with soil and add a good layer of mulch. They’ll establish roots before winter, go dormant during the coldest months, pop back up in spring and be ready to harvest next summer.

And if you didn’t plant a garden this year and think you’ve missed your chance, you haven’t. A few containers on a sunny patio, porch or even front steps can be plenty of space for lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes and other quick-growing fall vegetables. You don’t need a big garden, a perfect plan or even much experience. Grab a couple of pots, a bag of soil and a few packets of seeds and see what happens. There’s still a surprising amount of growing season left in Connecticut, so don’t store those gardening gloves just yet.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Have a question? Email info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” For your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for general guidance only.

10 Summer Projects to Tackle Before the Weather Turns

10 Summer Projects to Tackle Before the Weather Turns

Summer always seems to pass faster than expected, and before long, the warm days give way to cooler nights and the start of another heating season. While the weather is still on our side, now is a good time to handle a few projects that can protect your home, improve its appearance and prevent headaches later. Here are 10 practical jobs worth checking off the list before the season begins to change.

1. Inspect the roof

After the brutal summer storm season we’ve had, inspecting the roof should be near the top of the list. You don’t need to climb up there to do a basic check. From the ground, look for missing, curled or damaged shingles, along with loose flashing around chimneys and vents. After a hard rain, check the attic for damp spots, staining or other signs of a leak. Small roof problems have a way of becoming expensive ones once snow, ice and freezing temperatures arrive.

2. Clean the gutters and downspouts

Gutter cleaning usually gets saved for late fall, but a midsummer check is a smart move, especially after heavy rain or storms. Remove leaves, twigs and other debris, and make sure downspouts direct water several feet away from the foundation. If water is spilling over the sides or pooling near the house, it’s time to find out why.

3. Seal gaps around windows and doors

Take a walk around the house and inspect the caulk around windows, doors and exterior trim. Cracked or missing caulk allows water and outside air to work their way in. Replacing it is a relatively inexpensive project that can help prevent moisture damage and make the house more comfortable when heating season begins.

4. Repair the deck or porch

Summer is the ideal time to replace loose boards, reset popped fasteners and tighten shaky railings. Watch for soft or discolored wood, particularly where posts and stairs meet the ground. If the surface is dry and in good condition, consider applying a fresh coat of stain or sealer. Just allow enough rain-free time for the product to cure properly.

5. Touch up exterior paint

You may not need to repaint the entire house. Focus on peeling or bare areas around trim, fascia boards, doors and windows. Paint does more than improve curb appeal; it protects wood from sun and moisture. Prep matters, so remove loose paint, clean the surface and let it dry before applying anything new.

6. Check outdoor drainage

The next time it rains, pay attention to where the water goes. Soil should slope gently away from the foundation, and window wells should be clear of leaves and debris. Low spots near the house may need additional soil. Correcting drainage now can help prevent basement leaks, foundation trouble and icy patches later in the year.

7. Freshen up the entry

The front entrance is one of the hardest-working areas of the house. Adjust a door that sticks, replace worn weatherstripping, tighten the handle and lubricate the hinges. A fresh coat of paint, updated light fixture or new house numbers can also make a noticeable difference without turning into a major remodeling project.

8. Service the heating system

No one wants to discover a furnace problem on the first cold night of the year. Schedule professional maintenance before the fall rush, replace the filter and make sure vents aren’t blocked by furniture. If you have a fireplace or wood stove, arrange for the chimney and flue to be inspected and cleaned as needed.

9. Get the garage under control

Pick a cooler morning and spend a few hours sorting the garage. Dispose of old paint and household chemicals according to local rules, move seasonal equipment where it’s easy to reach and clear the area around the electrical panel and mechanical equipment. It’s also a good time to test the garage door’s auto-reverse safety feature.

10. Plan the bigger projects

Maybe the kitchen needs more storage, the bathroom is showing its age or the family has outgrown the current layout. Summer is a good time to start those conversations, even if construction won’t begin right away. Planning, design, product selection and permitting can take longer than homeowners expect. Getting an early start gives you more time to make good decisions without feeling rushed.

You don’t have to complete everything in one weekend. Choose the projects that protect the house first, then tackle the cosmetic improvements as time and budget allow. A little work now can mean fewer surprises, and a much more comfortable home, when the weather starts to turn.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.