Fall Home Maintenance to Tackle in September

With cold weather in the near future, now is the perfect time to get your home ready for winter. There are a lot of tasks that homeowners have to handle in the fall, which is why I recommend getting started early before it gets too chilly. What are the most important things you should do to keep your home both comfortable and protected this season? Here are my top five tips. 

Gutters

Before we know it, leaves will be clogging up your gutters and downspouts. If you’ve ever thought about installing gutter guards, now is the time to do it. Guards will protect your gutters from debris and help you to avoid that cumbersome autumn clean-out. Plus, clear gutters are the only way to ensure that rainwater is removed from your home properly.

Doors

With so much moisture in the air this summer, many elements of our homes have expanded. You may notice that your doors are sticking, making them more difficult to open. As the weather cools and the wood contracts, there may be gaps that will let cold air come right into the house. Make sure that your door sweep is in good working order and install some weather stripping to seal any space between the door and its frame.

Insulation

Most homes that I visit are under-insulated, which is a problem in both the summer and in the winter. Insulation helps regulate the temperature of a home, allowing for heat retention and overall comfort. Lots of homeowners I meet tell me that their second floor is much warmer than the first, a surefire sign that a house doesn’t have enough insulation. 

Roof

Now is a great time to inspect your roof to make sure that there is no damage to the shingles and the flashing around the chimney. As snow sits on a roof for much longer than rain, it’s easy to get leaks in the wintertime. Any current roof issues should be dealt with before the cold weather hits to make sure that a small problem doesn’t become a big one. 

Windows

When I visit a house, I will often use a thermal camera to see how much heat is being lost. Old wood sash or aluminum windows are both major culprits. New vinyl windows are great in terms of energy efficiency and heat loss reduction, and at my own house, we love the tilt-in sashes for easy cleaning. 

Being a homeowner requires a lot of maintenance, but the investment is worth it to keep you and your family comfortable all year round. Plus, with today’s hot real estate market, any of these updates will help you to get a better price if a sale is in your future. 

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.

A Storm Prep Kit Is Essential All Year Round

We dodged what could have been a very serious storm last weekend, but don’t think that we’re out of the woods just yet. An active Atlantic hurricane season won’t officially end until November 30th, right around the time that snow can start showing up. So how can you be prepared for a storm of any kind? Here are a few of my favorite supplies. 

1. Portable Generator. When a storm knocks the power out, a generator can be a lifesaver. But a permanent one can be costly. Instead, why not invest in a portable generator that can easily be stored in the garage? Many of the models on the market today are lightweight, efficient, and can handle multiple appliances and electronics at once. 

2. Gas. While gas is essential to run a generator, it’s smart to make sure you have a full tank in your car and a backup can in the garage in case of an emergency. If the power goes out for any length of time, you might need your car for heat, air, or even as a charging station. 

3. Ice. While you’re at the gas station, pick up a few bags of ice to store in the freezer. Food will keep cold in a closed refrigerator for four hours, but after that, time starts ticking. I also recommend getting some dry ice packs, which can be stored anywhere and will only get cold once activated. They don’t stay chilled for long, but they can really come in handy short-term for essentials like medication.

4. Batteries. A lot of people love rechargeable batteries but if the power goes out and you don’t have a way to recharge them, they are pretty much useless. Keep a pack or two of standard batteries for your flashlights and essentials. 

5. Water. This is probably the most obvious one, but well worth a mention. If for any reason you lose access to clean drinking water, having a stash is always a good idea. Before a storm hits, it’s also smart to fill your bathtub so you have access to non-potable water for flushing, washing, and cleaning.

6. Food. Yes, you want to make sure you have food in the house, but don’t go too crazy. If you lose power, you’ll likely end up throwing out a lot of what you bought, so instead focus on pantry items with a long shelf life.

7. Chargers. Keep all essential items such as phones and computers fully charged, and consider purchasing a portable charging bank as a backup. Just don’t forget to keep that backup charged as well.

8. Battery-powered radio. We are all so used to the internet that it seems almost impossible to get news any other way. If you’re left without power and WiFi and you rely on the interweb, you’ll really understand the meaning of feeling disconnected. A battery-powered radio will ensure you can get news and emergency communications.

9. Emergency contacts. Write your emergency contacts on a piece of paper and store them in a safe place. Keeping the phone numbers for police, fire, medical, and power companies will ensure you can reach them if you need to. 

10. A small rake. Yes, that’s what I said. From hurricanes to snowstorms, one of the biggest causes of property damage is flooding. By keeping drainage clear, you’re more likely to direct water away from your home and flowing the way it should be. A rake or shovel is a handy tool to get rid of excess debris that might be clogging downspouts or streetside drainage. 

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.

Five Ways to Protect Your Home From Moisture

This month’s intense rainfall has made for some messy clean-up in homes all around our state. From basement flooding to leaky roofs, lots of rain can cause serious issues if your house isn’t properly maintained. As summer continues and our weather becomes more unpredictable, it’s worth being prepared. Here are five key things to think about to protect your home from damaging moisture and the mold and mildew that come with it. 

Inspect Your Roof

Everything might seem ok with your roof but shingle damage or a chimney that’s not properly flashed could be allowing water to come into your home. These issues can be hard to spot from the outside, but leaks are a lot more obvious from the attic. A leaking roof is a problem to be taken seriously because water that’s entering the attic can easily penetrate into the walls and ceiling of the rest of the home. It’s also an easy place for mold to grow without being detected since we don’t spend time in our attics as we do in the rest of the house.

Clean Your Gutters

Gutters are a key part of proper home water removal. Most people think it’s enough to keep their gutters free from debris, yet few actually do it since it’s a messy job. I recommend installing gutter guards to cut down on maintenance and to ensure that gutters are clear so water can move freely away from the roof. I also highly recommend downspout extensions to homeowners who have suboptimal drainage conditions. A downspout extender allows water to drain an extra few feet from the house, ensuring nothing collects around the foundation. 

Change Your Landscape Grade

Whenever I walk around the perimeter of a house, I always make a mental note of the way the landscape meets the foundation. You always want soil to slope away from the home, ensuring that rainwater is draining away from the house instead of sitting at the foundation. Many homeowners actually have less soil at the foundation line, leaving the home susceptible to basement flooding. 

Use a Basement Dehumidifier

In these humid summer months, I find myself dumping my basement dehumidifier at least twice a day. You always want to have the humidity level in your home at around 50% and that goes for the basement too. Even a finished basement tends to be higher in moisture since the space is below ground so if you don’t have a dehumidifier, it’s time to get one. An appropriate unit will pull excess water from the air and reduce your exposure to mold which thrives on dark, damp places to grow.

Don’t Forget the Exhaust Fans

Finally, make sure you’re using your exhaust fans during showers and while using the stove. Exhaust fans help to pull water from the air in highly used areas such as the bathrooms and kitchens. Not using them will allow mold to spore, which can cause health problems such as allergies and asthma. Just make sure all fans are directed outside and not into the attic. The same goes for your dryer vent. 

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 http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.