Fall means more than just lower temperatures and falling leaves for homeowners in Charlotte, NC. When autumn rolls around, it’s time to perform your annual fall home maintenance to get ready for winter. Make sure you’re ready for another Charlotte winter with this fall checklist to ensure your home is prepared for the colder months ahead.

Have Your Furnace Inspected. When temperatures drop, your heating system is likely to see a lot of use, so schedule an inspection now to make sure it is running smoothly. By preparing now, you’ll avoid having to wait in line for repairs when it’s time to turn your heating system on.  

Clean Your Gutters: The fall season is the best time to clean debris and leaf buildup from your gutters. While Charlotte generally has mild winters, it’s better to clean them now than taking the chance that snow or ice could accumulate in blocked gutters and cause them to pull away from the house.

Protect Against Air Leaks: When you crank the heat up this winter, you don’t want to be heating up the outdoors. Air leaks in your home will raise your home energy costs and leave you chilly. Check your home for air leaks by sealing and insulating your home properly. Caulk cracks and gaps and install weatherstripping around doors and windows. Have your ducts inspected as well. Heat loss through ducts can cause as much as a 20% loss of heat from your home.  

Schedule a Chimney Inspection: If you are planning to use your wood stove or fireplace when the cold days arrive, you should have them checked to make sure they are clean, safe, and operating properly. Additionally, when using a wood stove or fireplace, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you have a battery-operated smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector installed in the space being heated. Contact Jim Boyce Insurance to make sure your homeowner’s fire hazard insurance coverage is up to date.

Prepare Your Yard: If your home features outdoor living areas such as a patio or deck, fall is generally a good time to begin packing up the grill, storing gear, covering furniture and prepping your outdoor spaces for inclement weather. Remove leaves and debris from decks or patios to prevent mold and mildew, turn off exterior faucets and reset the timing for automatic sprinklers.

For more information about how to keep your Queen City home safe and warm this winter, contact the Charlotte, NC home protection experts at Jim Boyce Insurance today.