Although sometimes the temperature in central Virginia doesn’t feel like it, fall is here! Homeowners can take advantage of the warmer fall weather to get the outside of your Locust Grove home ready for winter…if the farmer’s almanac predictions are correct, then we could be in for a lot more snow!
Give some attention to your lawn
If your lawn is anything like my Locust Grove home, then the harsh summer sun and heat has left it brown and crunchy. Fall is a great time to help your lawn make a comeback! By planting grass seed in the early fall, you give the grass some time to root in before winter and it will grow back stronger next spring. You can also fertilizer one more time. Make sure to rake leaves off of the lawn too. If they sit on the grass throughout the winter, the leaves combined with snow can kill the grass.
Plant spring flowers now
If you have been wanting to add some more color to your landscaping at your Locust Grove home, fall is a great time to do so. Tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs benefit from fall planting. You might even forget you planted them and then will be pleasantly surprised by their colorful flowers next spring!
Clean out rain gutters
While this task may need to wait until later in the season depending on the type of trees you have around your home, fall is the time to clear all the dirt out of the gutters. If the gutters are clogged in the winter, any water that is trapped and freezes can expand and crack the gutters. Clogged gutters can also reroute water onto other paths that can find its way into your home.
Store Your Outdoor Furniture
Some outdoor furniture can handle cold weather better than others. Fall is a great time to give it a cleaning before moving the furniture into a shed or basement. If you leave your furniture outside, furniture covers are a way to keep the moisture from snow off of the furniture. Don’t forget to give your grill one last scrub before you cover it up for the season.
Check your porches and decks
Autumn can be a great time of year to perform any maintence on your porch or back deck. If the wood seems dry or the paint has flaked off the deck, then add a fresh coat of paint and sealer. Snow that sits on decks over the winter can allow moisture to get inside the wooden planks and damage it.
Turn off the water
Once the temperature starts to dip close to freezing, it is time to turn off the outdoor faucets. Drain the water completely out of hoses too. You can pick up on of these faucet covers to give your faucet a little more insulation. We learned this lesson the hard way the first year at our Locust Grove home. We didn’t realize the faucet was left on and when I turned on the hose, my wife, who was luckily already in the basement, found water pouring inside from the cracked pipe.
Check on and organize your winter equipment
You don’t want to realize that the snowblower or generator at your Locust Grove home isn’t working when it’s snowing or you are out of power. Test out and perform any maintenance on these tools now, so they will be ready to go when you need them. Also, now is a great time to dig out the snow shovels and ice scrapers. It’s more enjoyable to do this in the warm fall temperatures than winter ones.
