A Fall Maintenance To Do List

As the days get shorter and outdoor projects become harder to tackle, now’s the perfect time to take care of a few key tasks before the colder weather sets in. Here are my top five tips to prepare your home for fall and winter.

1. Clear Those Gutters Falling leaves are just around the corner, and they’ll quickly clog your gutters and downspouts. If you've been thinking about installing gutter guards, now’s the time! These will prevent debris buildup and spare you the hassle of frequent clean-outs. Clean, functional gutters are essential to channel water away from your home and avoid potential damage.

2. Check Your Doors Stiff, hard-to-open doors are a sign that cooler temperatures are already having an effect. As the weather shifts and wood contracts, gaps can form, allowing cold air to seep inside. Make sure your door sweep is in top shape, and consider adding weather stripping to seal any cracks between the door and its frame.

3. Assess Your Insulation Many homes I visit are under-insulated, which creates discomfort in both winter and summer. Adequate insulation helps maintain a steady temperature throughout the house. If your second floor is consistently warmer than the first, it’s a good indication that your home could benefit from more insulation.

4. Inspect Your Roof Now is an ideal time to check your roof for any damaged shingles or issues around the chimney flashing. Snow lingers on roofs far longer than rain, making it easier for leaks to develop during the winter. Addressing small roof problems now can prevent larger, more expensive repairs later.

5. Evaluate Your Windows Using a thermal camera, I often find homes losing a lot of heat through old wood sash or aluminum windows. Replacing them with energy-efficient vinyl windows can make a noticeable difference. And the added bonus? Many vinyl windows come with tilt-in sashes for effortless cleaning, which we love at my house.

6. Get Your Hot Water Heater Tuned It’s not an outside project but if your hot water heater isn’t working when you need it, it’s going to make life very uncomfortable. Make an appointment now to have your systems flushed and inspected before the season gets too busy, or DIY it if you’re comfortable doing the work. Either way, don’t wait until it’s too late.

Owning a home means regular upkeep, but it’s an investment that pays off in comfort and energy savings. By taking a few simple steps now, you can enjoy a cozier home this winter—and keep those utility bills in check.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company founded in 1975. Have questions? Email info@odonnellbros.com with “Ask the Pro” in the subject line. All inquiries may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Gutter Maintenance for Fall

It may only be September but leaf maintenance season is right around the corner. Over the next two months, leaves, branches, and other debris will begin falling onto your roof and down into your gutters, building up over time. As winter approaches, this buildup can contribute to the formation of ice dams, a heavy mass of ice that settles onto the edge of your roof where the gutters are installed.

The main function of a gutter is to create a pathway for water to move away from your home and through a downspout to deposit in a safe place away from your home’s foundation. This system is vital to a house; it makes sure water can flow freely and not cause leaks in your roof, attic, and walls. But if your gutters are blocked up, the water has nowhere to go and will flow over, creeping up into your roof shingles and down through your siding. This kind of damage is both costly to repair and entirely preventable. 

To give your gutters a good clean you’ll need a ladder, a lawn bag or bucket, a small hand rake (or scoop) and a hose. Don’t be tempted to spray debris down the downspout with water; it’s likely that branches and leaves will get stuck inside, clogging it up and leaving you with a whole new mess to deal with.  Start at the downspout opening and work your way backward, collecting gunk away from the downspout and disposing it into your bucket. Work in small sections and don’t let your bag get too heavy – it could throw you off balance and land you in the emergency room. 

While you’re making your way around the house, check for any gutter damage, such as sections coming loose. You want to make sure you get those fixed while the weather is good. Once you’ve finished cleaning, you can give each section a good spray with the hose to check and make sure the water is running through and you don’t have any hidden build-up in those downspouts.

If gutter cleaning is a job you’d rather not take on, hire a contractor to complete the maintenance and then speak to them about putting gutter guards on your home. These wire or mesh overlays are installed on top of the gutter and prevent debris from entering the channel in the first place. They offer a great solution to a messy job and will provide you with peace of mind for years to come. If you see me around town installing them for homeowners, feel free to say hello and ask any questions you may have. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Attic Ventilation is Key for the Home

I recently did work for a homeowner who got the shock of her life when we removed her old roof and found sheet after sheet of black, rotten plywood. The homeowner couldn’t believe it and asked me how the plywood could be so damaged if she had never had a roof leak. 

The answer is quite simple and a lot more common than you think. In our area of Connecticut, nearly all attics don’t have enough insulation and aren’t ventilated properly. I meet people who need a new roof and want me to just lay an extra layer of shingles over top of what they already have to save money. What they don’t realize is how much deterioration exists that they simply can’t see.

With a roof, airflow is absolutely crucial. Attic ventilation allows your home to “breathe” by taking in air from the outside and letting out air from the inside. Too many homes that I work in aren’t properly ventilated, in fact, most have their bathroom and even dryer vents going into the attic instead of outside. In order to have proper ventilation, your home needs a system that includes intake ventilation through the soffit or a new product called SmartVent which is installed on top of the roof near the gutter edge. Louver vents were typically used at an exhaust vent in the 1950’s and 1960’s but now ridge vents are more common. If your house has both louver vents and ridge vents, the louver vents should remain closed, otherwise, the louver will act as an intake vent and will only cool the top third of the attic. 

In the colder months, it’s not uncommon for me to see frost on attic plywood because of subpar insulation. Insulation and ventilation work hand in hand - the ventilation controls the airflow and the insulation controls the temperature. You’re probably familiar with insulation - it’s a cotton-looking fiberglass material that often comes in pink or yellow rolls. It can also be loose-filled into tough to reach areas with a blowing machine. Remodeling professionals use insulation between walls, in attics and in basements to retain heat in the house in the winter and keep it cooler in the summer. However, without proper ventilation, the insulation is just as susceptible to moisture and deterioration as the plywood.

My customer didn’t venture into her attic, so she never noticed the problem. What she thought was a simple roof replacement ended up being a bigger job simply because after years of decay, the plywood she had was no longer strong enough to properly support the new roof. Ignoring the problem would have voided the new roof’s 30-year warranty.

The lesson for this week? If you’re going to reroof your home, make sure that the plywood is healthy and that your contractor has given you a thorough plan to ensure that your home is properly insulated and ventilated. It might cost a bit more today, but it will regulate the heat and cooling in your home for years to come, saving you on energy costs and giving you more comfort as well as peace of mind for the health of your house.

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.