The fall home maintenance checklist that actually gets done

Fall decides how your home gets through winter. Here are the jobs that matter most, in a sensible order, with what you can handle yourself in an afternoon and what's worth handing to a pro.

Most fall checklists run to fifty items, which is why most of them never get finished. This one is shorter on purpose. It covers the jobs that prevent the expensive winter calls (frozen pipes, ice dams, a furnace that quits on the coldest night of the year) and leaves out the busywork.

Start with heat

Your furnace or boiler is the system you least want to fail in January, so start there.

• Replace the furnace filter. A standard 1-inch filter usually needs changing every one to three months; thicker media filters last longer. The size is printed on the frame of the one you have.
• Book a tune-up. Early fall is when heating companies have the most room in their schedules, and a technician can catch a worn part before it becomes a no-heat call. Gas appliances should always be serviced by a licensed technician.
• Test the thermostat. Switch to heat and raise the setting a few degrees. The system should start within a few minutes. If it's programmable, set the winter schedule now.
• Clear the vents. Furniture and rugs over registers make rooms colder and the system work harder.

Water: outside first

Water expands when it freezes, and a split pipe inside a wall is one of the most expensive surprises a home can deliver. Where winters freeze:

1. Shut off and drain outdoor faucets
   • Close the indoor valve that feeds each hose bib, then open the outside tap so the line drains.
   • Disconnect hoses. Even frost-free faucets need the hose off to drain the way they're designed to.
2. Drain and store garden hoses
   • If you have an irrigation system, have it blown out with compressed air.
3. Know where your main shut-off is
   • If a pipe does burst, every minute counts. Here's how to find it.

If you have a sump pump, test it: pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure the pump starts and the water drains away.

Gutters and the roof line

Clogged gutters overflow against the foundation, and in cold climates they help create ice dams that push meltwater under shingles.

• Clean gutters once most of the leaves are down. Homes under big trees often need a second pass.
• Make sure downspouts carry water a few feet away from the foundation. Extensions are inexpensive.
• From the ground, look for missing or lifted shingles and damaged flashing around the chimney and vents. Binoculars help; leave the climbing to a roofer.

Ladder work is where many DIY injuries happen. If your gutters are more than one storey up, or the ground is uneven, this is a job worth handing off.

Doors, windows and drafts

• Feel for drafts around doors and windows on a windy day, and replace worn weatherstripping and door sweeps. Both are cheap and quick.
• Re-caulk gaps where window and door frames meet the siding.
• Swap screens for storm windows if you have them.
• Check that crawlspace and attic hatches close snugly.

Safety checks that take minutes

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Press the test button on each one. The National Fire Protection Association recommends testing smoke alarms monthly and replacing them 10 years after the manufacture date printed on the back. Follow the manufacturer's date for CO alarms.

Dryer vent. Clean the lint trap's housing and the duct to the outside. Lint build-up is a fire risk and makes every load take longer.

Chimney. If you burn wood, have the chimney inspected before the first fire of the season.

What to hand to a pro

A good rule: if it involves gas, electrical work beyond a bulb or a breaker, the roof, or a ladder above one storey, call a pro. An afternoon and a short shopping list covers most of the rest.

• Furnace or boiler tune-up
• Chimney inspection and sweep
• Gutter cleaning on two-storey homes
• Irrigation blow-out
• Roof repairs

Make it stick

Checklists fail because they live on paper. Handyman builds a maintenance plan from what your home actually has and the climate it's in, reminds you when each job is due, and can line up a pro for the ones you'd rather not do. Every job you finish goes into your home's record, so next fall starts from what was done, not from scratch. Get your home's plan.