Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: Prepare Your Home for Atlanta's Changing Seasons

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1.

It may not come as a surprise that home fires are more likely to occur in the colder months of the year when people spend more time indoors.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends you should test your smoke alarms every month, replace the batteries at least once a year and replace the entire smoke alarm unit every ten years. When was the last time you inspected your fire extinguisher? According to the National Fire Protection Association, you should check your fire extinguisher once a month.

Not everyone has a fireplace, but if you do, fall is a great time to make sure your fireplace is clean and in working order for winter.

The floor under our feet often goes unnoticed, but it is important to your home's overall look and feel that floors get regular attention and maintenance. For carpeted floors, that means carpet cleaning, and for hard floors, you may want to consider an extra careful spot check and cleaning.

5.

Trees are a beautiful addition to your landscape, but they require some care to stay at their best. If your trees have dead branches that could fall on your house or roof, they can become a liability. Fall is usually not the best time to prune trees. However, to keep your home safer during wind storms and winter weather, it is a good idea to inspect the trees and bushes surrounding your home and have any possible hazards removed.

Fallen leaves and other garden debris tend to gather on sidewalks, patios, and driveways during the fall season. If this debris is left as it is, as time goes on, the leaves may get wet or freeze, causing the surfaces to become slippery. Slippery surfaces can cause people to fall or trip. Therefore, before temperatures dip and rain, snow or ice make it difficult, any leaves or other debris should be removed.

Fallen leaves are not great news for lawns either. When leaves cover lawn or grass, they keep the sunlight away while at the same time trapping too much moisture. This can cause your yard to appear less than appealing in the spring. Keep cutting your grass until the first hard frost and keep leaves raked to ensure your lawn looks healthy and green when spring comes again.

After tackling all the tasks on this list, you deserve to have some fun. So reward yourself for a job well done with a fall flower or foliage planter to brighten up your patio or front door.

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