As the leaves change color and the warmth of summer fades away to crisp, cool days, we need to examine our fall home project “To Do” list to make sure our homes are ready and healthy to weather the winter.  Because we live in a climate with such extremes, ongoing maintenance of our homes becomes even more critical. 

     First, walk around the exterior of your home and take a good look.  Check the chimney and fireplace to determine if it needs cleaning or servicing.  Check your gutters and downspouts to make sure they are properly connected and clean them if necessary. Clean your exterior vent screens and dampers to ensure healthy air flow into your home.  Make sure that both bird seed and firewood are stored away from your home.  Drain your garden hoses, close your outside hose connection, and put your hoses in storage.  If you have an irrigation system, blow it out.  Take the time to winterize your landscaping…you’ll be happy in the spring!  Does the driveway need to be repaired or sealcoated?

     Monitoring the air flow and humidity in your home is a way to keep your home and your family healthy and should be on the checklist for all four seasons.  At this time of year, it is important to clean the exterior vent screens and dampers, check humidity levels throughtout the house, check the attic for signs of moisture and insulation levels, and check air intakes, exhaust and meters to make sure they are free of debris.

     Do you feel like you need assistance with these projects?  The Sass Home Maintenance Division would be happy to help…just give us a call at 952-474-4568.

When I hear the humm of the sump pump, it is usually during or shortly after one of our summer thunderstorms. Winter isn’t the time of year that we typically think to check our sump pumps and drain tile systems.  We just went through our first “thaw”. We still have many inches of frost and when the snow starts to melt, the water is going to take the path of least resistance. There are a few things that we need to keep an eye on.

The first one is the grade of our landscaping right next to the house. If the grade is not sloped away from the house, the water will pool at the side of the house. There may be some plantings that have settled and will pool water. The heat in our basements keeps the foundation warm and often times the ground right next to the house is not frozen. The water will find it’s way down to the foundation. If there is a drain tile system in place, the water will flow into the sump basket and should be pumped back outside. This leads us to our next item.

Second, check the length of pipe, or flexible hose, that extends from the sump pump to the outside of the house. This pipe needs to carry the water away from the house. If the pipe is too short and just dumps the water right outside of the house, it is going to go right back into the drain tile system and will only add to the stress on the  pump. Also, check to make sure that the pipe is free of any blockages and the water can flow freely away from the house.

The third item to keep an eye on is the gutter system. The gutters are going to help keep the water from the roof away from the foundation of the house. If the gutters are filled with ice, they can’t do their job. We don’t suggest that you climb around on an icy roof, but if the weather is warm enough to melt snow, the ice in the gutters won’t last very long either. Check the downspouts and make sure that they are all connected. The extensions at ground level are just as important as the exit pipe for the sump pump. Sometimes these extensions are removed in the summer (to make the lawn mowing a little easier) or are too short to start with. Make sure the extensions are connected and are carrying the water away from the house.

These are just a few tips to keep the water out of your basement. If the water does manage to make it into the basement, make sure to get it dried up as soon as possible. This will keep any mold or mildew to a minimum.

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