10 Best Home Improvements for Fall Ask the Design Diva

13 Sep

It?s the perfect time to tackle some home improvements now that the heat and humidity has subsided. My list of home improvements runs the gamut from standard maintenance to energy efficiency improvements and building. Let?s get started before it gets cold and you want to stay inside again!

1. Programmable thermostat ? This is a quick and easy home improvement that will help you save money on your energy bills. For every degree you lower your thermostat, your heating bill is reduced 10%. With the programmable thermostat you can keep the temperature low during the night but get the home warm before you have to get out of bed in the morning.
2. Winterize your home ? This is another home improvement intended to help you save money on your energy bill. Typical winterizing tasks would include wrapping your water heater in an insulating blanket, insulating your pipes, adding insulation to your attic, caulking windows and doors and adding weatherstripping and door sweeps to your exterior doors.
3. Clean out gutters ? Nobody likes this job, but it is a home improvement task that has got to be done. If you don?t want to make the commitment to clean them out at least twice a year, make the investment in gutter covers. The potential expense from damage caused by clogged gutters should be enough incentive to make it worthwhile.
4. Wash your windows ? Another item which probably isn?t very high on people?s list of favorite activities, and some may argue that it isn?t a ?home improvement,? but I beg to differ. Clean windows help light stream in and warm your home during the winter, thus lowering your heating bill. Plus it brightens your home, reducing your dependence on lamps during the day.
5. Chimney Sweep ? This is one task that you don?t want to tackle yourself, but do make sure you get it done. You never know what might have decided to make a nest in your flue and I doubt you want to inadvertently want to be barbequing it when you make your first fire of the season. Besides, you want excess soot and creosote removed so you won?t have a fire hazard.
6. Furnace Service ? It is very important to have your forced air heating/cooling system tuned up twice a year. With regular maintenance your system will last longer, cost less to run, and small problems will be taken care of before they develop into large, expensive problems. Also remember to replace your dirty filters and clean your registers and grills.
7. Rejuvenate your lawn ? It was a long, hot, dry summer all over the country and fall is the perfect time to try and bring your lawns back to life. Begin by cutting your lawn a little shorter, so energy can go into the root development. Have your lawn core aerated to give the roots a better environment (and more oxygen) to get established. Fertilize and water regularly until it goes dormant and come spring you will have the best lawn in the neighborhood!
8. Renovate Landscaping ? Just as fall is a good time to rejuvenate your lawn, it is also a great time to renovate your landscaping. Plants have more time in the fall to adjust and develop strong root systems before the colder weather sets in. If they were planted in spring, it would probably get hot too quickly for them to get established, so they?ll be much happier this way.
9. Organize Garage ? Chances are your garage got dumped on all summer with lawn equipment, sporting goods, toys, garden furniture, and Lord knows what all else. Now is the time to enlist everyone who helped make the mess and let them help you clean it. Make three piles, keep, toss, donate. Before you start loading the keep items back, check to see if the walls need painting. You might also want to think about using one of the new floor coatings to protect the garage floor against gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil salt, and hot tire pick-up. Invest in some practical storage solutions such as pegboard, overhead storage, and floor to ceiling shelving.
10. Build a terrace or deck ? You definitely don?t want to be hauling the raw materials to build a terrace or deck in the middle of summer, so take the hottest months to do your planning and as soon as the heat and humidity is down, you can head outside and get ready to lug all those heavy objects around back to create your masterpiece. Then next summer you?ll be able to enjoy it all season long.

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You can tune into ?Ask the Design Diva? live Saturday mornings from 8 to 9 on WAVO1150AM in Charlotte, or hear it live on our ?Listen? page. You can also download podcasts of every show if you?ve missed any along the way.

If you are looking for help decorating your home or office, or need a fun and entertaining speaker for your next event, contact The Design Diva through her company Sensibly Chic Designs for Life. The phone number is 704.608.9424.

Tags: Ask the Design Diva, chimney sweep, earth-friendly, energy efficiency, Energy Savings, garage organization, gutters, lawncare, programmable thermostat, Sensibly Chic Designs for Life, the Design Diva, wash windows, window washer, winterization

Source: http://www.askthedesigndiva.com/10-best-home-improvements-for-fall/

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