HOME IMPROVEMENT IDEAS FOR FALL

It’s officially fall, and with colder weather is right around the corner it means it’s time to prep your home for a new season. The Lakes knows all the best tips and tricks for getting your lawn and house ready to tackle rain, snow and cooler temperatures. Check out some home improvement ideas to gear up for sweater weather.

How to protect your lawn for fall and winter: As colder weather approaches, it’s important to prepare your lawn accordingly so it is protected until spring. The three most important steps to preparing your yard are aeration, seeding, and fertilization. Aeration is an essential part of maintaining a beautiful yard because it relieves soil compaction and allows air, water and fertilizer to better penetrate the core of the lawn. Fall is a great time to plant seeds if you have a cool-season grass, like Kentucky Bluegrass or tall fescue lawns. Finally, fertilizing your lawn during the fall helps to strengthen your its root system, which can lead to a greener lawn in the spring! Looking to learn more about the best lawn care for your lawn? Visit CSU’s Extension website for more information.

Gut your gutters: One of the most important things homeowners can do to prepare for fall is to clean your gutters! Although this is the chore that many despise, it’s truly a necessity. The benefit of having clean gutters during fall and winter is the fact that they often divert several gallons of water away from your home (when they’re free of debris). If your gutters are clogged with falling leaves this can sometimes lead to water damage to your roof and even flooding inside your home. Cleaning your gutters, while easy to put off, should be one of the tasks at the top of your to-do list this season!

How to winterize your house: While you’re up on the roof, what better time to inspect it? With cooler weather coming, it’s best to inspect the exterior of your home while it’s still semi-warm outside. This helps ensure that your home has the proper insulation which keeps your home warm and dry during those seasonal storms. Look for broken or cracked shingles, or to see if your roof has any leaks. Doing these types of checks before storms hit can help avoid major problems after big winter storms.

While you’re performing regular checks like this, don’t forget to give your windows a quick check, too! Heat leakage from windows during colder weather can have negative impacts on your energy bill. Homeowners should check the weather stripping and sealant on windows to ensure that heat stays in your home at all times. If these elements aren’t intact, call a professional to help fix them.

Fall Remodeling: Preparing for fall doesn’t have to happen outside only. As the seasons change, so does your indoor décor! Decorating for fall is a great way to revamp your home without doing a complete renovation. Adding festive décor, even when simple, can spruce up your home in minutes! Add pumpkins to your front porch or create beautiful tablescapes that can last from September first to Thanksgiving. Decorating is a great time to involve little ones too with simple DIY projects that can give your home a facelift and take no time at all. Need some inspiration? Check out our Fall Home Décor board on Pinterest.

Preparing for fall and winter doesn’t have to be stressful! Use these tips to gear up your yard and home for the cold weather season. Looking for more home improvement ideas? Head to our Home Improvements for Fall  Pinterest board for more.