November 24, 2024

Tips for Preparing Your Home For the Fall Season

Get your home ready for the changing seasons with these Fall Maintenance Tips from the John Moore team.

Cooler weather is on the way, so we’re starting with the most obvious first. After all, keeping your HVAC system working smoothly is a big part of what we do.

Schedule Your Furnace Tune-up and Safety Inspection Early

There’s nothing subtle about Houston weather. By scheduling your annual furnace tune-up and safety inspection early, you’ll make sure your heater will be standing by and ready for that first time when it suddenly goes from shorts to sweater weather all in the same day. Learn more about what our experienced HVAC technicians check for in our 30 Point Furnace Inspection and Tune-up.

Another benefit of taking care of your Furnace Tune-up early in the season, is that you’ll have opportunity to spot and address any issues that might exist in your unit before they affect other system components. Our blog post on The Importance Of Your Annual Fall Heater Inspection goes into more detail.

A great, no stress, easy way to take of your HVAC annual tune-ups is join our “Save Moore” Maintenance program. The cost of both your spring and fall HVAC tune-ups and inspections are included with your membership, and we’ll send reminders and reach out to you to get your tune-up scheduled

Autumn Outdoor Maintenance Tasks to Complete Before It Gets Too Cold

Cooler temperatures not only mark the changing seasons, but they also provide nicer weather for completing key Autumn home maintenance tasks. Here’s a quick checklist:

Time to prep your lawn for winter. Houston winter is very different from most of the country, and a little attention now, along the proper fertilizer, will give you lawn a boost to survive the winter and come back even stronger next year.
Take advantage of the lower humidity and cooler weather to paint the exterior of your house. Just make sure you’re finished well before anything even close to a freeze is in the forecast.
Check your roof and gutters. Remove any debris or leaves that may be clogging your gutters and downspouts. Be on the lookout for any gaps, holes, or curling shingles. Call John Moore to send out a Roofing Specialist if you spot anything you want checked out.
Examine the outside of your home for any small holes or places where a tiny critter could enter your home. Squirrels, rats, mice, and other pests will be searching for a safe, warm place to spend the winter. Make sure they don’t choose your house! Our blog post, Pests Not Guests: How to Keep Mice, Rats, and Squirrels Out of Your Home examines this in depth. The John Moore Pest Control team offers Rodent and Pest Exclusion Services if you want help.
Gather winterizing supplies for your plumbing. Make sure that you have what you need to wrap your pipes and protect your outdoor garden hose faucets so that you’ll be prepared when the first cold snap of the season hits. Our Master Plumbers share their tips and best practices for Protecting Your Pipes and Plumbing For Winter Weather.

Safety First!

The changing of the seasons is a great way to remember to check your home’s safety devices. Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are plugged in to an outlet (preferred) or have fresh batteries. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that can be released by your furnace if it is not functioning properly (one more reason to get an annual furnace tune-up!) and you should have a detector on each level of your home. Swap out the batteries and test the smoke detectors in the house. It’s also a great time to check the other safety devices in your home – weather radios, fire extinguishers, etc. – to make sure they are ready to go and functioning properly.

Add Weather stripping and Insulation (if needed)

Time to deal with those gaps under doors (garage doors too!) and windows where you can still feel a breeze even though they are closed. Weather stripping is an inexpensive and effective means of sealing up drafts and keeping you warmer when temperatures drop. Or if you need a little more help, our Renovations team can assist you with door replacements to help keep the chill out.

Adding an attic tent or attic insulation in your home can also prevent heat from escaping – and can help keep the cool air in and electric bills down once winter is over and the A/C goes back on.

Start Prepping for the Holidays

We hate to rush things, but making a stress-free holiday season starts in the Fall. If you’re going to be cooking a Thanksgiving meal and hosting friends and family, you need to plan ahead.

Make a list of any Honey-Do or home improvement projects that you want checked off before your company arrives. Our Ultimate Guide to Holiday Hosting offers plenty of pro-tips, wisdom, and fun holiday ideas and recipes for everyone from the inexperienced to the seasoned hostess with the most-est. A little planning can make your home ready for the holidays without the stress!

If you have any questions about home maintenance or want help checking a few things off your To Do list, call the John Moore team of home service professionals at (713) 730-2525 or contact us online!

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For over 50 years, residents of the Greater Houston area have trusted our high-quality furnace and heater repair, and replacement services. Our customers enjoy stellar customer service, expert workmanship, finance options, and the best warranties in the industry. When you need reliable HVAC services in Houston, TX, contact John Moore.

To keep your heating functioning at its best, reach out today to schedule an appointment!

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