Your Fall To-Do List - Mr. Handyman serving Greater Jacksonville

The official start of “Fall” is a week out still, but I’ve always treated the return from Labor Day Weekend as the start of Fall. The kids are back in school, football is back and next month is Halloween.

Daytime temps will stay high into October, but evening temps will start to subside. We can all leave the A/C to enjoy our decks and patios. The holidays are approaching quickly. A few times a year I encourage you to take inventory of “what needs doing” around your home, and it is now time to organize your fall to-do list. This gives you time to get things done while there is still some evening light. If you plan to hire somebody for some (or all) of your list, now is the time to get on their schedule so the work is done for the holidays.

Caulking, inside and outside your home, needs inspection. The kitchen and bathrooms are the primary concern inside the home, where caulking around sinks, tubs, and showers keeps the water from going places it should not go. Over time caulk will discolor and if the guest bathroom’s clear or white caulk is no longer clear or white, it is time to redo the caulking.

Outside the home, caulk is used around doors and windows, and other joints/seams, to prevent water intrusion. Outside in the sun, it gets brittle and cracks over time and must also be redone. It is not particularly difficult to work but must be done properly to be effective – and most homes have 20+ doors and windows.

With folks going outdoors for more than the pool, fall is also a good time for pressure washing anything looking greenish. The home, sidewalks and driveways, the pool deck. Anything that needs it can be cleaned now and should look good through the holidays.

If you have a deck, it is time to tighten up any nails or screws that are starting to pop up, keeping your deck boards from turning into trip hazards. Every other year a good clean and fresh coat of stain will keep your deck looking good and help it last. Is this the year to do that?

I also recommend you inspect all other exterior wood surfaces. Wood fascia, trim, siding, and soffits will all need a coat of paint eventually. Visually inspecting the paint condition will let you know when that time is coming. Painting a home can be costly, but replacing rotten wood is even more costly, and then it still needs to be painted.

Get back outside, enjoy the fall, update your to-do list – and come up with a plan.

If your plan includes hiring others to do some, or all, of the tasks listed on your to-do list for you, know that Mr. Handyman is greater Jacksonville’s most trusted provider of home maintenance and repair, home improvement, and lite remodeling services. We were recently recognized by the readers of the Florida Times-Union with their “Bold City Best” award, our sixth year receiving this recognition. Professional, safe, reliable, and convenient to use, Mr. Handyman is redefining the home improvement experience.