10 End of Summer Jobs for a Fantastic Fall

Summer may be coming to a close, but with the first day of autumn still a few weeks away, there is plenty of time to get your home and yard in tip-top shape before the cooler weather sets in. With the countdown on, I’ve rounded up the most important jobs for you to tackle to get ready for the fall. Let’s get busy!

Clean windows and inspect for gaps.

If you have window A/C units, tack this job on as you’re removing them. Windows are a prime culprit for heat loss, so have a look at all the windows in your home to see if you have any gaps. Small cracks and crevices can be sealed with caulk, but you’ll want to fill larger gaps with insulation or expandable foam. If you have single pane aluminum windows and you’re freezing every winter, it might be time for an upgrade.

Clean and store outdoor furniture.

If furniture is left outdoors during the winter, it will likely crack, split or rust - depending on the material.  Before you turn it in for the winter, be sure to clean it well to avoid rot or damage and check for signs of mold and mildew. A thorough wash with hot soapy water or household cleaner will do the trick.

Reseal your deck.

The summer sun can be brutal on your deck, but so is the onset of snow, sleet, and freezing rain that we can expect over the next several months. Protect your wood by removing any leaves, sticks and those pesky helicopters, and follow it up with a good power wash. When the wood is dry, apply a protective sealant to condition the deck and help it stand up to winter.

Inspect your doors and apply weather stripping.

Just like your windows, your doors are prime areas for air leaks. Inspect the areas around your doors and make sure they are air tight by repairing any old weather stripping or broken door sweeps. Heating a home all winter costs a lot of money so don’t make it more expensive than it should be. An energy efficient home is a happy home.

Patch that leaky roof.

If the summer rain uncovered a leak in your ceiling or attic, don’t wait to have it looked at. The unpredictable winter can be a disaster for a roof that’s already damaged, so don’t hold out until it’s too late. Often times a small repair can stop the problem in its tracks.

Clean your gutters and check for clogs.

I went into detail about this one last week but it’s worth another mention. We’re in for a stellar leaf peeping season, but for us homeowners that also means a lot of headaches in the clean-up department. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are prepared for the seasonal shed and flush everything through to ensure the water flow-through is up to par.

Get adequate insulation.

If you’re dreading another teeth-chattering winter, it’s time to add some insulation to your home. Over 75 percent of houses that I visit in our area don’t have enough insulation and because of it, I get too many calls from frozen homeowners wondering what they can do. Insulation is inexpensive to install, can be done in less than a day and adds more to the resale value of your home than any other project. This one is a no brainer.

Scrub out your garbage cans.

As the cold sets in, our furry friends get more desperate for food and will start visiting your trash looking for a free meal. Their sense of smell is uncanny so make sure your bins are cleaned out and future garbage is bagged properly. You don’t want rodents making their homes too close to yours.

Replace your air filters.

If your A/C has been cranking all summer, it’s a great time to clean and/or replace your air filtration systems. While you’re at it, have a look at all your vents including the dryer and remove any built-up debris. The harder those appliances have to work, the more they are going to cost you.

Inspect the hot water heater.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Check your water heater for any decay or sediment build-up and be on the lookout for leaks or faulty pipes. If you have an inkling that the unit might be on the fritz, call in a pro for a routine inspection. It’s better to be safe than sorry come winter.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions 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.

Don’t Overlook Those Downspouts During Fall Leaf Prep

If you’re a homeowner, chances are that leaf maintenance is in your very near future. With the beauty of autumn nearly always comes clogged gutters that when left uncleaned can make a big mess come winter. But while some people are excellent about keeping those gutter debris-free, it’s the often overlooked downspouts that can become compacted, leading to overflows in the gutters and potential leaks in the roof. So if you’ve never done it before, now is the perfect time to give those downspouts a good clean out and give yourself the peace of mind of a leak-free roof come fall.

A downspout is the most important part of your roof drainage system as it allows all the water that flows down into the gutters to move away from the foundation of the home. A properly installed gutter system will let rain and melted snow drain off the roof quickly, and the downspout will ensure that the water doesn’t land where it’s not supposed to. Without a downspout, gutters will overflow and run down into the home, causing leaks in the basement. If it’s winter and the snow and ice can’t move, the water will find itself a new home in your attic. Either of these scenarios is a major headache for a home owner, so don’t let it happen to you. Let’s clean those downspouts.

For this job, you’ll need a ladder, a scoop, a bag for debris, a cordless drill and a shovel or long handle about an inch wide. If you have a plumbing snake, that will work well too. 

Always start by cleaning out the gutters first. Remove any old leaves and sticks with a scoop or by hand. Once you’ve cleaned the gutters, give them a rinse with the hose and keep an eye out for any leaks. Small issues can be caulked, but if you see a lot of leaking, you might need to call a professional in for a repair. 

Next, make your way to the elbow of the gutter system where the main gutter meets the downspout. Back out the screws in the upper and lower parts of the elbow to remove the joining piece. Look to see if there is any debris caught and remove it with a strong water stream, the end of a shovel, or your plumbing snake. Then look down the barrel of the downspout to see if you can see light at the other end. Use the hose to clear any debris and check for back-ups. If dirt, leaves, and sticks have been compacted, use the end of the shovel to gently push the gunk out of the bottom of the downspout. Be careful and make sure you don’t damage or dent the pipe. I like to use the hose both on the top and bottom of the downspout to ensure it’s absolutely free and clear. 

Once everything is cleaned out, you can screw the downspout back into place and do one final flush with the hose. Just remember, any home improvement projects involving a ladder can be dangerous, so make sure you’re on firm, steady ground and ask a friend for some help. If you’re not comfortable with heights, call a professional to do the cleaning for you. No DIY project is worth a trip to the emergency room. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions 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. Get in touch here. 

Choosing The Best Gutter Guards For Your Home

Did you swear that last autumn would be the final time you pulled that rickety old ladder out of the shed to scoop and sweep leaves and debris out of your gutters? If so, now is the time to make some decisions on a new solution to prevent water overflow and get rid of all that maintenance hassle. 

Back in the day, there were few options in the gutter market. In order to make sure the water from rain, snow, and ice came off your roof, you had to have an open gutter system to allow precipitation to travel through the connecting downspouts and out away from the foundation of your home. Open gutters, however, allowed not only water but leaves, whirlybird seeds and sticks to also deposit into the gutter, clogging them up and eventually causing overflow unless they were cleaned.

In the autumn, I get hundreds of calls from homeowners for gutter cleaning, many of whom don’t want to do it themselves because of the hassle, danger, and dirty work on the ladder. Luckily, over the past few years, gutter manufacturers have smartened up, creating shields to install over your current gutters, as well as closed gutter systems that can replace your current setup.

Gutter guards come in a variety of materials and sizes, but they are all designed to maximize water flow through while keeping leaves and twigs away from the water channel. The least expensive option is steel mesh screens which slide in and sit above the gutter lip itself. That arch design helps to ensure that debris can’t get stuck in the back of the gutter and they generally come with a five-year warranty against rusting or corrosion.

A step up from mesh screens is a heavy duty aluminum option which can be fitted from the front and back, avoiding the need to remove roof shingles for installation. These products come with a ripple design to prevent leaves from drying on the surface and they are generally backed by a 20-year warranty so you don’t have to worry about replacing them every few seasons. I like these because the design strengthens the gutter which comes in very handy during major snowstorms when many homes in the area suffer from heavy and dangerous ice dams.

Finally, we have the Rolls Royce of gutters, otherwise known as Leaf Relief. These heavy aluminum gutter shields can drain nearly 30 inches of rainfall in one hour, which is 15 inches more than the highest rainfall ever recorded (for inquiring minds, that’s 12 inches in one hour in Holt, Missouri). For homeowners who want no maintenance, this is the gutter product for you. The 25-year no clog, no overflow warranty gives it the same lifespan as a new roof and the inset design makes it invisible from the road. Best of all, dry debris blows away with just a six mile per hour breeze. 

No matter what type of gutter guard you choose, you want to make sure it’s the best product for your home. While any gutter guard will reduce debris getting into your gutter, the right guard will depend on the trees in the area, how much rainfall you get, the position of your home, and the size and age of your current gutters. Once those factors are taken into consideration and the appropriate product is chosen, you can say goodbye to messy cleaning and sit back to enjoy the beautiful falling leaves this autumn.

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, get in touch with us here. Advice is for guidance only.