8 Columbia SC Home Repairs For Fall
Fall is a great time to make Columbia SC home repairs because during the winter months, small problems can become expensive nightmares. The following tips can save you hundreds, if not thousands, in Columbia SC home repairs.
Outdoor Columbia SC Home Repairs
Take advantage of the cooler weather to do home and yard repairs and spruce-ups.
Leaves that have fallen can kill grass when they're matted all winter. Leaf piles can also attract rodents. But using leaf bags means work and waste if they go into a landfill.
Don't overlook your mower's mulching mode. Ground-up leaves feed your lawn and save money. You might need to make a few passes to slice the leaves small enough to decay.
Along with saving the cost of leaf bags, you avoid blisters on your hands and sidestep the stooping and bending of raking and bagging.
Check Your Roof
Leaks can eventually damage the wood sheathing and rafters below the shingles, leading to thousands of dollars in Columbia SC home repairs. Use binoculars to spot cracked, curled, or missing shingles from the ground. Consider having a roofing pro check flashing around chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys for leaks, and the rubber boots near vents for cracks that can let moisture seep in.
Clear Your Gutters
Gutters full of leaves, pine needles, and other debris allows water to spill over the side, pool around your home's foundation, and seep inside. Water that freezes in gutters can force snow and ice into roof shingles, causing damage and leaks. Consider a gutter-guard system to keep debris out and water in.
Close Your Hoses
Pipes can burst when water inside expands as it freezes, creating an expensive mess in your home. Shut off inside valves that control water flow to hose spigots. Then briefly open the spigots to drain any leftover water in pipes and hoses. Also drain water from supply lines for water sprinklers and pools, and shut off inside valves that control them. And help prevent freezing by insulating pipes in unheated areas.
Inside Columbia SC Home Repairs
Your furnace or heat pump will be less likely to fail on a cold day if you just take care of a little maintenance now.
Plug Leaks
The swiftest savings come from sealing air leaks in your home's walls, windows, and especially its ductwork. Duct insulating and sealing are best left to a professional. But you can use a combination of caulk, foam board, expandable sealant, and weather stripping to plug leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, and other openings in your home.
Automate Energy Savings
Simply lowering temperatures 10 to 15 degrees while you're at work or asleep can trim 15 percent off your heating bill if you use oil or gas to heat your home. You can lower temperatures manually on any thermostat or install a programmable thermostat (about $40 to $300) to do it for you.
If you use a heat pump, don't be making drastic changes in your thermostat setting. Doing so with a heat pump can actually cost you more when you crank up the temperature and cause your electric back up heat strips to kick in.
Replace Air Filters
A dirty air filter reduces heat and airflow, which can lead to expensive repairs. Check the air filter in the furnace or heat pump each month. Have a pro check the system annually, tightening electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, and checking drains, controls, and connections for oil and gas systems.
Clean Your Chimney
A wood-burning fireplace or stove may be cozy, but creosote buildup can block the flow of smoke and cause chimney fires and carbon-monoxide poisoning. Even unused chimneys can develop cracks that weaken the structure. If your chimney hasn't had a recent inspection, now's the time.
Just going through and making these simple Columbia SC home repairs and checking to make sure things are in order for winter, can save you thousands of dollars later on.