With the passing of each season, your home goes through changes in temperature, weather condition, aging and of course, human abuse. Inorder to keep the components of your home running smoothly and avoid costly repairs later, it’s helpful to conduct these seasonal maintenanceactions:
1. ROOF, GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS
Your roof is often forgotten about because it is not at eye level to give you a subtle reminder every time you walk past it. Examine yourroof/gutters/downspouts for debris. Clear leaves, dirt, and sticks from gutters and examine downspouts for damage or loose pieces.
Check the flashing around your chimney and any openings in the roof, such as skylights, for leaking problems. Look for damaged, loose ormissing shingles that may leak during rough winter weather.
2. YARD IRRIGATION AND LAWN
Fix broken sprinkler heads. If you want to prevent spring weeds and winter lawn damage, don’t forget to fertilize. Visit your local garden center to find out information on what type of fertilizer to use and when to spread it.
3. WINDOWS, DOORS, AIR DUCTS AND ATTIC
Check air ducts in the attic for holes and patch with duct tape or replace with new ones. Go through your home and open windows to ensurethe seal and caulking around the window frame is in good condition. If the gaps between siding and window or door frames are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk.
Silicone caulk is best for exterior use because it won’t shrink and it’s impervious to the elements.
4. SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriatedevices at least twice each year.
5. FAUCETS
Check for leaky faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms. Replace washers as necessary.
6. REFRIGERATOR
Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, thelatch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced.
Clean refrigerator coils once or twice a year. Check beneath the kick plate or behind the fridge for the coils, which tend to attract scum buildups that can hinder performance. A handheld vacuum can clean it up quickly. Be sure to change your refrigerator water filter. Filtersthat don’t efficiently remove contaminants and impurities may expose you to harmful water.
7. FIREPLACE
Make sure your fireplace (or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal), chimney and vents are clean and in good repair. Checkchimneys for obstructions such as a bird nests. DIY or call a chimney sweep to clean the fireplace
of ashes. In the fall season, check the chimney for loose or missing mortar. Make sure the damper closes tightly.
8. EXTERIOR WALLS
Look for possible weather-related damage, like cracks and loose or crumbling mortar. Wood trim and siding can suffer from deteriorating paint or become loose. Windowsills may be cracked, split or decayed.
9. HEATING, COOLING, AND SYSTEM FILTERS
With the passing of each season, your home goes through changes in temperature, weather condition, aging and of course, human abuse. Inorder to keep the components of your home running smoothly and avoid costly repairs later, it’s helpful to conduct these seasonal maintenanceactions:
10. HOT WATER HEATER
If you live in an area with hard water, extra amounts of sediments could be building up in your tank. The beginning of the fall season is a perfecttime to drain and make sure rust is not developing in your tank as well. If your hot water heater is extremely old or is rusting, consider investing in anew one that will be more cost-effective and energy-efficient.
AUSTIN AREA HARDWARE STORES
Ace Hardware
100 E. South St., Leander, 78641
512.259.3843 | acehardware.com
Alexander Marchant
1114 W. 5th St., Austin, 78703
512.462.1444 | alexandermarchant.com
Bath and Kitchen Showplace
8740 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, 78757
512.454.4619 | bkshowplace.com
Breed & Co
Central Location:
718 W. 29th St., Austin, 78705 | 512.474.6679
Westlake Location:
3663 Bee Cave Rd., Austin, 78746 | 512.328.3960
Callahan’s General Store
501 Hwy. 183 S., Austin, 78741
512.385.3452 | callahansgeneralstore.com
CB Hardware, Inc.
505 Cypress Creek Rd., Ste. D, Cedar Park, 78613 512.257.8778 | cbhardware.com
EcoWise
209 E. Ben White Blvd., Ste. 103, Austin, 78704
512.326.4474 | ecowise.com
DECOR Builders Hardware
2210 Denton Dr., Austin, 78758
512.837.5424 | decorbuildershardware.com
The Home Depot
See website for multiple locations | homedepot.com
Harbor Freight Tools
North Austin Location:
2500 W. Parmer Ln., Austin, 78727 | 512.388.1818
South Austin Location:
4001 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 3, Austin, 78704 | 512.442.8078
Johnstone Supply
North Austin Location:
10620 Metric Blvd., Austin, 78758 | 512.834.0346
South Austin Location:
4114 Todd Ln., Austin, 78744 | 512.440.7229
Lakeway Location:
2009 Ranch Rd. 620 N., Austin, 78734 | 512.296.2424
King Feed and Hardware
14210 Ranch Rd. 12, Wimberley, 78676
512.847.2618 | kingfeedandhardware.com
Lowe’s Home Improvement
See website for multiple locations | lowes.com
McCoy’s Building Supply
See website for multiple locations | mccoys.com
Moore Supply Company
North Austin Location:
8740 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, 78757 | 512.454.4616
South Austin Location:
201 Industrial Blvd., Austin, 78745 | 512.462.0606
Sears
See website for multiple locations | sears.com
Southwest Trading Post
16016 Hamilton Pool Rd., Austin, 78738
512.263.2836 | swtpinc.com
Tuttle Lumber
518 W. San Antonio St., Lockhart, 78644 512.620.0151
Wimberley Ace Hardware
14307 Ranch Rd. 12, Wimberley, 78676
512.847.2356 | wimberleyace.com
