For November : Home Maintenance To-Do List

The calendar has turned to November; the month during which we transition from fall into winter.

With less sunlight, colder temperatures, and shorter days ahead , it's an opportune time to cross those last-minute maintenance items off your homeowner to-do list.

Practicing preventive care -- both inside and outside your home -- can save thousands of dollars in repairs come later this winter. What follows is a brief checklist to get you started.

For outside the home :

• Inspect exterior lights and outlets. Be sure that none of the outlets are cracked or broken, or have exposed wires.
• Clean gutters and clear all blockages. If leaves are falling, redo after leaves are off all trees.
• Inspect and test outdoor railings and stairs.
• Have problem trees trimmed, including those that may damage your home in a storm.
• Protect outdoor water faucets from freezing. Consider using foam cups, sold at hardware stores.

For inside the home :

• Change batteries in all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms, whether they're "dead" or not. 
• Vacuum refrigerator condenser coils, plus the front bottom grill. Empty and clean the drip pan.
• Inspect wood stoves and fireplace inserts. Hire a certified chimney sweeper to clean the chimney, if needed.
• Insulate bare water pipes running through your home to prevent freezing and to limit condensation on cold-water lines.
• Inspect automatic garage door opener. Lubricate chains according to manufacturer's instructions. Make sure bolts and screws are properly tightened and secured.

As a constant series of chores, home maintenance is a four-season job and one which should not be taken lightly. The tasks of each season are unique and November's jobs are mostly preparatory in advance of colder weather.

If your routine maintenance uncovers larger issues including a faulty HVAC unit, or a leaking faucet, for example, seek professional help to make the repair. 

Using Home Generators? Here's How To Stay Safe.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas. It kills more 400 people die in their homes each year.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is especially common during periods of power outage. This is because homeowners fire up their personal home power generators.

Home generators are a leading cause of poisoning by carbon monoxide and, in this 4-minute from NBC's The Today Show, you'll learn about home generators, how they operate, and the safety measures everyone homeowner should undertake.

A few basic home generator safety rules, as described in the interview, include :

• Never modify a generator or its engine
• Keep a 10-foot distance between the generator and your home
• Always point the generator's exhaust away from your home

Furthermore, make sure your home has an ample supply of carbon monoxide detectors, and that they're operational.

One of the video's highlights is clever illustration employing a vase of water and a dash of red dye. The demonstration shows just how few carbon monoxide particles are required to cause injury and/or death to a person in your household.

Therefore, if you own a home generator, take 4 minutes watch this video. Safety when home generators is paramount to your health.

Using Space Heaters? Use This Safety Advice.

Space heaters are popular among homeowners because, as portable appliances, they can heat a small space quickly and inexpensively. It requires less energy to run a space heater than to raise the temperature of an entire home by a few degrees.

However, space heaters can be dangerous, too.

In its November 2011 report, the National Fire Protection Association reveals that heating equipment was involved in an estimated 58,900 home structure fires, 480 civilian deaths, 1,520 civilian injuries and more than $1.1 billion in damage.

Space heaters caused a disproportionate percentage of the accidents : 

• 79% of all home heating-related civilian deaths 
• 66% of all home heating-related civilian injuries 
• 52% of all home heating-related property damage

If you use space heaters, therefore, please remember to read (and follow) the manufacturer's instructions for proper usage, and to obey basic safety standards.

First, never place anything flammable within three feet of a space heater. Space heaters get very hot, very quickly and can ignite rugs, paper and curtains.

Next, make sure your space heater is placed on the floor, on level ground. Do not rest it on books, or on furniture.

Also, make sure to turn space heaters off when leaving a room, or when going to bed. Space heaters are not meant to replace whole-home heating and should not be left unattended under any circumstance.

The Underwriters Laboratory makes a list of general safety tips available on its website. Considering how much damage space heaters can cause, the list is worth committing to memory.

How To Change Your Doorbell

When we move into a home, we make changes. Appliances get replaced, rooms get painted, and floors get refinished or recarpeted. It part of how we make a home "ours".

One item we tend to skip, though, is the changing of the doorbell. In most homes, the existing doorbell is "good enough". 

Well, if you've ever had a mind to change your home's hard-wired doorbell system, the good news is that changing your doorbell is a simple, do-it-yourself project. Whether you want chimes, songs, or the traditional ding-dong, all you need is a screwdriver, some tape, and the new doorbell system.

This 2-minute video from Lowe's maps it out :

1. Cut the power to your doorbell from your circuit breaker
2. Unscrew the doorbell face plate
3. Replace the face plate with your new doorbell
4. Locate your in-home receiver and remove the chime system
5. Replace the chime system with your new system

The video also includes helpful tips such as how to use tape to prevent "losing" wires in your walls, and how to label your wires for faster re-wiring.

Changing a doorbell is a quick, 1-hour project. Use the video's guidance to make you don't miss a step.

Quiz : What's The First Thing You Should Do After A Home Purchase?

Did you remember to handle the most basic safety precaution for your new home?

When people buy homes , there's a tendency to think "Big Picture" on home improvements. Flooring, painting and furniture are common "just-moved-in" purchases, as are cable television and utilities packages.

The most important move-in purchase, though, may also be the least expensive -- deadbolts for your doors.

Every home has at least one -- and sometimes up to dozen -- keyed points of entry. And until you change those locks, there's no telling just how many people may have access to your home.

For example, your home's prior owners may have shared house keys with any/all of the following people :

• Real estate agents
• Neighbors and friends
• Parents, brothers and sisters
• Home cleaning service
• Dog walkers and pet sitters

Those keys will still gain entry into your home until you change the locks. This is why your first act homeowner should be to replace all your home's keyed entries with new locks and/or deadbolts.

Locks and deadbolts come in a variety of designs and finises, with varying price points. A basic single-cylinder, keyed deadbolt costs less than $15, and a powerful digital-entry, keyless system sells for $200-plus. There are a bevy of models at prices in between, too.

Regardless of which lock system you choose, don't procrastinate on installation. Ideally, your locks should be changed on the same day of purchase, as close to closing's completion as possible.

Hardware stores carry most deadbolt varieties and many can be installed with just a screwdriver. For complicated installations, talk to a locksmith.

How To Clean Your Home Gutters

With the change of season, it's a good time to make sure your home's gutter system is clean and well-functioning.

Home gutters serve a specific purpose. By capturing and funneling rainwater away from a home "footprint" water damage to walls, windows and roofing can be minimized. A well-functioning gutter system can keep a home's basement from flooding, and a foundation safe from long-term structural damage.

Damaged or dirty gutters can lead to major home damage that may not be covered by insurance.

For homeowners , keeping clean gutters is essential. Luckily, with the right tools, gutter maintenance can be a do-it-yourself job.

First, gather the necessary tools. You'll need a ladder for climbing; a bucket for holding debris; a hose for flushing your gutters; and a small, scooping tool such as a trowel.

Next, carefully climb to your gutter. Using your hands, scoop large debris and place it in the bucket. Use the trowel to get to hard-to-reach places and for removing sticks and leaves. For safety, do not stretch to reach the next section of gutter. 

After clearing the first gutter portion, step down from the ladder, move it to the next section of gutter, and repeat. Do this until all gutter sections are free from debris.

Next, find a garden hose with a spray attachment. Carry the hose up the ladder with you to the highest point of your gutter system -- usually opposite the downspout. With the water supply on, spray water into the gutter to flush the remaining debris.

If the water fails to drain, there's likely a clog in the downspout. Using a screwdriver, separate the downspout, find the clog, and remove it. Or, if you find standing water, adjust the slope of your gutter by removing the gutter hangers, fixing the slope, and re-attaching the hangers.

A gutter system should slope roughly one-quarter inch for every 10 feet of gutter. 

Gutter maintenance is a twice a year task that you can do yourself. However, if you're uncomfortable on a ladder, or prefer to hire professionals, that's okay, too. As with everything in home maintenance, it's safety first.