Home and Yard Tasks for your Fall To-Do List

Although the cool weather of fall is one of our favorite times of year, it’s a hint that the cold winds of winter will be blowing through a little too soon!

And, there are important tasks that need to be completed around your house and yard before the cold season starts and the snow and ice start falling.

Cook has you covered with this list of 3 essentials tasks for your home and 3 for your yard. Now, you will be on top of all those fall chores and ready to go!

IN YOUR HOME

Clean and empty gutters and downspouts

A build-up of leaves mixed with winter precipitation can cause damage to your roof and potential flooding of your home or yard. Make sure to clean out gutters of any leaves, sticks, dirt and other debris and then flush them with a hose.

Seal up cracks and gaps around your home

Check for cracks and openings around doors, windows, etc. and close with weather stripping and caulking. This simple task will prevent the cold winds from getting inside and causing you to crank up the thermostat.

Closing any size opening, small or large, will help lower your energy bills and keep those dollars in your pocket.

Prevent the chance for frozen pipes

Frozen or exploded pipes are a huge hassle and giant expense that no can afford to deal with. Prepare now by draining all outdoor facets, bringing hoses inside and checking heat tape around pipes and facets, especially those with external facing walls.

Don’t forget when the temperature does drop to open up cabinet doors and let a small stream of water run from facets periodically.

IN YOUR YARD

Aerate your lawn

Aeration is the process of poking holes in the soil. This helps water, oxygen and other nutrients penetrate to the roots of your grass. The perfect season to aerate your lawn is during late fall to provide enough recovery time before dormancy sets in.

You can rent an aerator from a local or chain hardware store. To learn more about the process of aeration,click here!

Divide and move perennials

Fall is the best time to move plants around because of the cool outside temperatures. When plants are near the dormant stage there is less risk to move them.

Once you have them in the perfect spot, they will be ready for next spring. Learn more about some of the best fall blooming perennials here!

Protect trees and shrubs

If you live in an extremely cold area, it’s important to protect your trees and plants from the dangerous impact of winter weather.

Burlap is the perfect protection for young trees and shrubs. An added benefit of burlap is it protects these plants from road salt in areas when snowplowing roads might be necessary.

One bonus tip for fall is to invest in a good, high quality rake. Leaves can pile up in your yard faster than you can rake them. Having the right tool to get the job done is essential. For more tips on making raking leaves quicker and easier, read this blog post!

Speaking of having the right tool for the right job, a Cook Portable Warehouse is the right storage solution for anyone who has important stuff they want to keep safe this winter.

Learn more about these solid sheds in our Construction and Buildings Standards Guide by clicking below!