It’s officially fall, which means depending upon where you live the temperature is seeing a decline and you are spending more time indoors. October is the perfect month to take care of a few things happening in your home. Remember, preventative maintenance in your home will help with costly repairs in the future. This helpful October to-do list from your Central Coast Ace Hardware will help you prepare for winter.
October to-do list to prepare your home for colder months
Swap out batteries in everything that uses them. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, TV remotes, wireless motion sensors, flashlights, and lanterns for power outages and so on.
Check weather stripping around windows and doors. The time to replace is now before temps get too cold, the material is more pliable and the adhesive (if so made) will stick better.
Have your furnace or boiler professionally cleaned and checked for safe efficient operation.
Buy extra furnace filters that are pleated and change once a month to help create better air quality in the home.
Now is a great time to rake the lawn, apply a winterizing fertilizer do any fall pruning of trees and shrubs and put it all to bed for the winter.
The cooler temps and dryer weather is perfect for refinishing decks and applying seal coatings to asphalt driveways.
If you don’t want to wash all the windows in the house, then maybe choose the ones you look out most. There is nothing better than clean windows on a clear crisp fall day.
For summer power equipment add a fuel stabilizer and fill the tanks up all the way in mowers, gas trimmers and so one. Let run for 5 minutes and put away for the season.
Clean and vacuum exhaust fan vents in your home to make sure they are working at peak levels, and they will look nicer too.
Consider renting a carpet cleaner to clean wall to wall or area rugs and upholstery. You will be amazed at how dirty it all is and these machines will pull so much more dirt from the material than just vacuuming.
Make sure to stop by your local Ace Hardware store to stock up on the items mentioned in this October to-do list. Central Coast Ace has locations in Watsonville, Freedom, Gilroy, Marina and Salinas. With services such as curbside pickup and online ordering, shopping at your local Ace is always convenient!
Always follow manufacturer’s instructions before using any product.
These “How-To’s” are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in Ace Hardware’s “how-to” videos and/or articles is intended to provide general guidelines for projects in and outside of your home. Tools, products, materials, techniques, building codes, local regulations are continually changing. Ace Hardware assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein and disclaims any liability for the omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. It is the responsibility of the viewer to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations for a project and the product being used. The viewer must always take proper safety precautions and exercise caution when taking on any project or using materials of said project. If you have any questions, concerns or doubts in regards to any element of what is displayed in the videos and/or articles, contact a licensed professional.
