Prepare for Winter: Fall Home Maintenance
This is a subtitle for your new post

Winter can come on fast in Alaska! Here are few home maintenance items to do twice a year, ideally in the fall and spring:
Exterior Doors
- Oil hinges and locks if required. Inspect finish for cracks and peeling. Use touch up paint where required.
- Check weather striping and thresholds around exterior door and adjust if needed.
Interior Doors
Lubricate hinges if door is making noise or not swinging freely.
Garage Door
- Lubricate hardware. Inspect mechanism for free travel. Adjust if necessary.
- Spray springs with WD40 and use a Silicone base lubricate on hinges and bearing at the top of the garage door.
Kitchen Tile Grout
- Inspect for loose or missing grout. Re-grout if necessary. Re-caulk at the edge of the backsplash if necessary.
Tiled Areas
- Inspect caulked areas for missing or damaged caulking. Re-caulk if necessary.
Faucet Aerators
- Check for proper flow of water. If the flow is reduced, clean the aerator screens. During the first two months, the faucet aerator screens could require more frequent cleaning. Also homes on wells will require more cleaning.
Shower Doors
- Inspect for proper fit. Adjust if necessary. Inspect caulking and re-caulk if necessary.
Tub Enclosures
- Inspect for proper fit. Adjust if necessary. Inspect caulking and re-caulk if necessary.
Exterior Paint
- Inspect the exterior of your home for cracked or peeling paint. Repair and repaint if necessary. Your Homeowners Association may have regulations regarding exterior colors. Please call your Homeowner’s Association before you change the exterior paint colors. Southern and western exposures are more susceptible to cracking and peeling. Repair and repaint before water and ice can get into the wood and cause more damage.
Roof
Inspect for damage after storms and high winds. An annual inspection by roofing professional is recommended.
Gutters
- Clean debris from gutters every spring/fall and after storms. Windows
- Inspect around all windows. Remove cracked or split caulking. Re-caulk around exterior of all windows.
- Clean tracks of windows and sliding glass doors.
Outside Faucets
- In Alaska drain outside faucets to prevent freezing. Hoses should be disconnected from exterior hose bibs when not in use and before freezing temperatures hit.
Landscaping
- Visually survey yard and existing drainage patterns. Verify that the ground slopes away from the foundation. Stabilize any bare areas with grass, ground cover or landscaping materials to discourage erosion. Dig out areas where soil has accumulated and fill in any low spots where necessary to reestablish drainage flow.
Crawl Space
- Check your crawl space for any standing water – see Procedure for Handling Water in Crawl Space Letter
- Check crawl space ventilation make sure fan is in operation.
Humidifier
- Adjust the knob to desired maximum humidity level.
- In summer adjust the knob to the “SUMMER” position.



