10 Fall Maintenance Tips for Minnesota Homeowners

Fall brings with it consistent change. Days begin to shorten, leaves start to fall, and the weather changes constantly and begins to cool. Winter is right around the corner, and we all know the harsh cold will stick around longer than it is welcome.

Fall is the best time to prepare your home’s exterior before winter hits. Since the season is right around the corner, you should be thinking of the checklist to follow, but where do you start?

Here are some good tips for fall exterior maintenance in Minnesota!

1. Rake Leaves

The fall of colorful leaves is a beautiful sight in the fall, but if left unkempt, it will affect your lawn’s growth negatively in the spring. While raking leaves may be a chore, your property will look beautiful and clean throughout the fall and be easier to maintain in the spring.

2. Clean Your Gutters

Cleaning your gutters is most prudent in the fall, as most debris falls in this season. Once most of the leaves around your property have fallen, cleaning out your gutters will allow cold autumn rain to divert away from your property.

You can also prevent most kinds of debris from getting in your gutters by installing gutter guards. Leaves, twigs, and debris will slide off and not clog your gutters, while water can slip into your gutters and flow away from your home easily.

Clean gutters or gutters protected by gutter guards even help prevent ice dams from forming in the winter. With nothing blocking your gutters, snowmelt will have a place to go.

3. Turn off Exterior Faucets

Once your garden has produced its last bit of food, or if your flowers begin their eternal winter sleep, you need to turn off the water for the garden hose.

The potentially disastrous result of leaving the water connected outside can cause the plumbing in your home to freeze and burst, which can be costly to repair. Learn more about protecting your pipes from freezing here.

4. Make Repairs on Exteriors Before Winter

To begin your fall exterior maintenance, you should inspect the whole exterior of your home. Check to see if any siding or roofing requires repair or replacement. Doing so will assure none of the outside elements will get to your interior during the winter.

5. Make Your Home Airtight

Insulation plays a huge role in your exterior, keeping all of the cold fall and winter air from disrupting the balance in your home. Taking out A/C window units, applying weather stripping to any doors that may leak air, and insulating your windows will help your home’s exterior keep the inside of your home warm.

6. Check Walkway Safety

Inspecting your sidewalks, stairs, and railings on the exterior of your home is an ideal safety measure for the upcoming winter. This way, you can prevent slip-and-fall accidents when the snow and ice begin! Then, once it starts to snow and ice, make sure you keep your walkways cleared.

7. Critter Prevention

The cold weather outside might bring with it some unwanted guests. Many pests, like rodents and spiders, like to come inside in the winter. Sealing any cracks or holes around your home will help prevent mice and other pests from staying rent-free.

8. Learn How to Identify & Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are a major problem for Minnesota homeowners. When ice dams build up on the roof, they can cause property damage and pose safety risks, especially if they aren’t removed properly.

Ice dams look like a sheet of ice that’s starting to overhang on your rooftop. You’ll usually notice a lot of hanging icicles, too. If you want to prevent ice dams, the best thing to do is ensure your home has good insulation so temperatures on the roof don’t fluctuate. You should also remove excess snow.

To learn more, check out this guide to ice dams.

9. Roof Inspections

Fall is an excellent time to inspect your roof. The temperatures are high enough that the roof is safe to get close to or on. However, it’s usually best to leave roof inspections to the professionals. While you can examine the roof briefly yourself, a roofing contractor can detect issues more thoroughly, and they are also trained to get on rooftops safely.

If you need a roofing inspection or repair, reach out to Apple Exteriors to set up a service visit.

10. Make Any Last Minute Upgrades

Once the cold weather sets in, most home exterior projects you want to make will have to wait. While emergency repairs, especially storm damage restoration, can be done in the winter, it’s better to schedule home exterior upgrades or maintenance before it starts to snow.

So, if you are looking to upgrade your gutters, repair your roof, or get new windows, fall is the time to call Apple Exteriors!

Contact Apple Exteriors for Home Exterior Maintenance & Repair

If any part of your exterior needs maintenance, repair, or replacement before the winter months, call on Apple Exteriors! We’re a GAF Master Elite certified contractor and family-owned and operated business that loves to serve families like yours.

Schedule a free inspection online or give us a call at 612-362-7753 today!