All aspects of a home require upkeep, whether we are talking interior or exteriors. The exterior maintenance includes aesthetic upkeep as well, physical care. It helps to have a November checklist to follow, this way you can make sure all your necessary tasks are completed. We do touch on this subject in last month’s post: fall maintenance

I know a checklist certainly helps me stay organized. My checklist will hopefully help you with your exterior, end of season, clean up.

• Gardens
  • Ensure all your plants and flowers are trimmed for the winter, this will help ensure beautiful blooms again in the spring.
  • Wrap shrubs and trees. We know the winter is cold, windy and dry. All of which will damage your greenery. Be sure to protect using burlap or poly fencing wrap.
  • Vegetables and fruit, be sure you’ve removed and composted the remainders of your fruits and veggies. This will ensure that you have a clean space to start with again next year.

• Fences, decks and pergolas
  • At this time of the year it is quite late to be painting or staining exterior surfaces. Our temperatures are too low and will result in failing product come spring. However, you can ensure the surfaces are clean and sturdy before the real cold sets in.
  • Remove any vine like flora

• Furniture
  • Bring all exterior furniture into a shed, garage or other storage space.
  • This includes planters and flower boxes. Should all be cleared and cleaned.
  • This includes exterior textiles as well.

• Eaves/gutters
  • Clean these. It’s not easy to get up to high areas be sure to use proper ladders or hire a professional to get the job done right.

• Windows and doors
  • The caulking around doors and windows tends to shrink and crack over time, and especially in the summer. Be sure to re-caulk or replace old caulking.

• Insulation
  • We sometimes don’t notice the need for insulation until its -45. What can be done is to go have a quick look at your current insulation situation. Check in your attic, the type that has been installed there is likely throughout the entire home.
  • Add or retrofit insulation needs: have insulation installed in areas that look to need it.

• Furnace
  • Change your furnace filter, this should be done seasonally.

• A/C
  • If you have an A/C unit ensure you cover and protect it during the winter.

• Pool
  • A pool will need to be winterized, whether reducing the water quantity or ensuring final closing details are completed.

• Walking paths
  • Ensure that any areas used for walking through have been protected if need be, or are ready to receive layers of water, ice and snow.

• Decorative lights
  • If you’re like me, you’re Christmas lights have been up since last winter. However, it is wise to remove them when they aren’t in use. So for those who were wise enough to remove them last spring, you will be wanting to put them back up before you are having to combat ice, resulting in slips and falls.

• Foundation
  • Our basements tend to stay fairly consistent in temperature throughout the year, we do want to make sure that any foundation work existing will have to be taken care of before a timely freeze of the soil.

• Water/taps
  • Close any water supply to the exteriors
  • Return hoses to a shed or other storage area, of course after draining the hose of water.

Those are all tasks that should be looked at before every winter. Go check these out at your home to avoid any surprises. If you have any you’d like to add, please leave those in the suggestions box.