Top 10 NovemberTips

1. Light the Way

If you enter your house through the back door, you may be unaware of how dimly lit your front walkway is. Or perhaps you’ve been considering more exterior outlets for illuminated holiday decorations. Schedule electrical services today and we’ll help you light the way.

2. Fallback Plan

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 a.m. Time to turn all the clocks back one hour—alarm clocks, digital clocks on the microwave and stove, the grandfather clock in the hall, the Chicago Bulls clock in the man cave. It’s a good time to change batteries in smoke alarms, CO2 detectors, exterior garage keypad, key fobs, water alarms, thermostats, keyless remotes, doorbells, your home security system and flashlights. Your neighborhood hardware store now stocks 10-year batteries for many of these items.

3. Avoid a Frosty and Costly Mistake

Unless your exterior faucet is frost-proof, you should turn off the water before the first real freeze by closing the shut-off valve inside the house that leads to the faucet. This spigot (aka sillcock or hose bib) is a major cause of emergency plumbing calls and basement or crawlspace flooding. If the water freezes inside it and bursts, what a mess! Installing a frost-proof faucet that automatically traps the water inside the house is the best solution. Be sure the faucet is insulated correctly; if you don’t disconnect your hose from it before winter, the seals will burst, causing continuous dripping until it’s repaired or replaced. Purchase frost-free hose bibs at your local family-owned hardware store—the folks there can help you determine the proper size. If you’d like a plumber to install one, reach out here.

4. Ungoop Your Gutters

Gutters are essential to your home’s defense against water. When they’re clogged with leaves and debris they can’t do the job they’re designed for. Gutters need regular maintenance to keep them working optimally—cleaning, sealing, sometimes re-pitching. Many homeowners seriously injure themselves every year by cleaning their own gutters. Installing gutter guards can bring peace of mind and help avoid many of the issues (including basement flooding) that we are contacted to fix. Gutter guards are available at your favorite neighborhood hardware store. To schedule gutter cleaning or for an estimate for gutter guard installation so you never need to clean them again, contact us here.

5. Welcome to Our Home

Guest bedroom looking a bit worn? Repaint it before holiday guests arrive. Our painters are EPA-certified craftspeople who are experts in both interior and exterior painting and use only the finest products and paints, such as Benjamin Moore. Get ready for overnight guests—schedule a painting project now.

6. Safe & Secure

Time to take a walk around your property and take note of any exterior holes. Sealing these will stop bugs, mice and water from entering. These entrances, small or large, can include electrical and natural gas lines, outside faucets, A/C condenser pipes, cables, as well as kitchen fan, bathroom fan and clothes dryer exhaust hood vents, and venting for large mechanicals. Seal these areas tight with the appropriate caulk. Questions regarding the best sealant to use? Stop by your neighborhood hardware store for advice on the best products and tools or schedule us. We’d be happy to help.

7. Screen Time

Time to take down your screens, give them a good hosing down and if needed, take them to the hardware store for professional repair before storing them. DIY screen repair and other products are available, but if you’ve never done it before it can be a bit tricky. If you’d like stationary windows rescreened or a three-season enclosure installed, please reach out to us here. 

8. Foundation Check

When was the last time you checked your foundation? The best defense against basement flooding and mold is a secure foundation. Walk around the perimeter of your house and check for any cracks or holes. Window wells should be clean and free of debris—installing an atrium drain grate vs. a flat one can help prevent basement flooding if an errant, wind-blown plastic bag or leaves have covered the drain. If you have below-grade stairs leading to the basement, ensure that the drain at the bottom of the stairs is clear. If you have an unfinished basement, check inside for cracks, holes and/or evidence of water staining on the concrete, floors or walls. If your basement is finished, open all closets, hatches and access panels and check for evidence of present or past moisture, mold or the smell of mildew. If you would like a professional opinion, contact us and we can suggest the best next steps.

9. The Dry Solution

Sump pumps generally last 7–10 years. Contractor-installed pumps are typically the least expensive and most apt to fail. If a pump stops working, water may fill up the pit in which it’s housed and overflow into your basement. Replacing pumps before they die is a great idea, but there are two other ways to help make sure your basement doesn’t flood. A backup sump pump connected to a backup battery works well but if the power goes out, you can only expect 5–7 hours of continuous pumping or 1–3 days of non-continuous pumping. The more reliable solution—and one that is always at the top of the list on most valuable paybacks—is a generator connected to your natural gas line that kicks in automatically as soon as power goes off. This provides you with electricity for the sump pump as well as heating/cooling, refrigerator, internet, kitchen, etc. If you are interested in a generator, schedule an estimate here.

10. We’re Handy

Remember last November when your mother-in-law accidentally tore the toilet paper holder off the wall while steadying herself after too much spiked cider? Time to reinstall it before holiday guests arrive this year. There’s probably a few other tasks that need doing too, right? Get out that To Do list and schedule handyman services here.