Making A Fall Preparedness Plan

While the leaves start to fall and the weather begins to change, you should be preparing your home for the start of the fall season. It is the time of the year when days become shorter and the weather gets cooler. With the cooler temperatures upon us, get your home ready now.

Here are some recommendations for your fall preparedness plan:

Clean your gutters and install gutter guards to prevent backups.

Clogged gutters can create problems for your foundation as water falls off your roof. Clearing your gutters can direct water away from your foundation and home.

Turn off and drain your outdoor water spigots and ensure any exterior water pipes are insulated to avoid freezing. For colder temperatures later this year, draining spigots helps prevent them from freezing and bursting. Adding insulation in walls and around exterior, exposed pipe can keep them from freezing this winter.

Trim and remove any dead or damaged tree limbs near your home and make sure outdoor drains are clear of leaves or debris. Fallen limbs and debris can damage your home and block water from being directed away from the property. Many homeowners experience water damage in their basement due to clogged drains. Cleaning outdoor drains weekly is a smart choice. One heavy rain can create water damage to your home.

Check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and test your generator.

Daylight savings is a good time for home and business owners to change the batteries in their smoke detectors. Have your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit inspected by a professional. Like smoke detectors, HVAC units should be inspected twice a year and daylight savings is a great time to do so. If you own a generator, this is the time of year to make sure it is working in case of an emergency.

Make a readiness plan in case of a power outage in the coming months. Do yourself and your family a favor by creating a readiness plan in case of emergency.

If you experience a water, fire or mold loss, call SERVPRO of Annapolis/Severna Park at 410-647-8181 to make any size disaster “like it never even happened.”