Get Your Houston Home Ready for Fall: An 8-Job Checklist

It is easy to put off jobs around the house and say you will get to them later. But it’s already September! The small job you skipped in the summer can turn into a big, costly repair by winter.

We plan ahead on every home we build by fixing small problems before they turn into big ones. A simple fall checklist helps us do it.

Here is what to do this fall. Each job is made for what Houston homes go through.

1. Flush your water heater. Grit builds up inside your water heater over time. Houston has hard water, so this happens fast. Flush it once a year to clean it out. This can help it last much longer. One warning: if your tank heater is more than 7 or 8 years old and has never been flushed, leave it alone. Cleaning it now can break it.

2. Wrap your pipes. A hard freeze can crack the pipes you can see. Wrap them before the first freeze. Use pipe foam or heat tape. Do not use towels. Wet towels freeze and make things worse. Do you have an outdoor tankless water heater? A heat wrap or a safe cover keeps it working in the cold.

3. Get your furnace checked. Have someone you trust look at your furnace. They will check the parts and the gas. They will clean off the dust. That dust is what makes the burning smell the first time you turn on the heat. Do this in the fall. It is cheaper and easier than a fix in December.

4. Check your chimney and fireplace. Do this before the holidays. Have someone check the chimney and flue. Test your gas logs early. A bad part or an off pilot light is easy to fix now. These are safety jobs, too. They keep smoke and gas out of your home. One tip: turn off your AC when you light a fire. The AC can pull smoke back into the house.

5. Clean your gutters. Do this twice a year. Fall matters most because of falling leaves. Clogged gutters hold water. That water can freeze, break the gutter, or leak under your roof.

6. Check the caulk around windows and doors. Hot, dry summers dry out the caulk. That leaves small gaps. Cold air comes in through those gaps. Fix them now with a few small touch-ups. Your house will feel warmer, too.

7. Change your air filters. Do this every three months. Your heater works hard in winter. A clean filter helps it run well. Clean the vents while you are at it.

8. Flush your drains. Do a simple drain flush twice a year. It stops most clogs before they start.

None of these jobs are fun. But each one is cheaper than the repair it stops. People who spend a little each year skip the big surprise bill. The problem gets caught while it is still small.

Want the whole list on one page? Download the Fall Home Checklist. Print it. Put it on the fridge. Check off each job as you go.