Fall Checkup: The Simple Maintenance That Keeps You Winter‑Ready
October is the month to get ahead of winter. It’s easier to seal a draft when your fingers aren’t numb and easier to service a furnace before the first cold snap. Walk your house once with fresh eyes: gutters cleared, downspouts extended, hose bibs shut off, filters replaced, smoke and CO alarms tested, and weatherstripping renewed where you feel a leak.
Outside, think about what snow and wind will do. Secure anything that can blow, trim branches that threaten lines and roofs, and stack firewood where it stays dry. If you use a generator, run it, listen to it, and make sure you have treated fuel on hand. Check winter gear now—gloves in pairs, boots where you can find them, and ice melt that hasn’t turned into a rock.
Also, remember that October is a great time to review all emergency food storage. (see Managing Inventory of Emergency Food) We recommend sorting all food by the expiration year, so with 2024 drawing to a close you can pull out the 2025 box (all long-term storage food that expires in 2025) and handle it. You can consume it, donate it, or destroy it as you see fit. This keeps all your emergency food storage up to date.
Need help getting started? Here's a checklist you can print out to get rolling. This is not an all-encompassing list, just a place to start.
Fall maintenance doesn’t need to be a weekend lost to chores. An hour here and there sets you up for a calmer winter and fewer surprises when the north wind shows up.
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