With a change of season in Anchorage, comes a long list of things to do in terms of home maintenance and fall clean-up. Giving your property that extra bit of attention this Fall, means that come Spring your landscape is healthy and ready to explode with beautiful colors.
Fall clean-up:
With the turn of the season, comes the inevitable layer of leaves that though colorful, will smother and kill the grass on your lawn if left lying there. Un-raked leaves also provide great hibernation materials for bugs – something you won’t want in the Spring. Using a rake regularly will keep your grass fresh and vibrant longer, and will be a good way to keep fit at the same time.
With all this focus on the lawn, let’s not forget your plants and trees. Pruning is an excellent way to get rid of dead, diseased or out-of-control branches, insect infestations and to ensure that both you and your trees are safe from damage from nearby power and utility lines.
Clean the Gutters:
Once you’re done down on the ground, it’s time to focus on the house, starting with the gutters. Falling leaves can pose a grave threat to gutters as they pile up quickly and can be quite heavy. Full gutters can break off, get severely clogged and end up being breeding grounds for a variety of unwanted wildlife. As snow melts, clogged gutters can also lead to basement or crawlspace flooding, so it’s best you clear them on a regular basis.
Ensure your ladder is a strong one and that it’s set safely before you climb up to get to the gutters when attempting to clean them. Use thick gloves and/or a scoop to fish out the leaves and debris safely, putting it all into a bag that when full can be safely dropped to the ground before you descend. Don’t forget to wash the gutters out with a hose to ensure they stay clean and clear of any debris that might have gotten stuck in hard to reach spaces.
When you’re done with your leaves and debris, ensure everything is bagged for disposal and ready for collection. Staying organized saves time, effort and gives you more time to relax after these tiring chores.
It’s also a good idea to go for a professional gutter and roof cleaning service.
Window Cleaning:
Next up, windows. If your windows have screens, take them off the frames, hose them down and wipe with a rag or sponge to get rid of all the accumulated dust and grime. Spray each window with a hose, then use a squeegee or sponge to clean them using a professional-strength window cleaner or even simply some detergent, water and a bucket. To avoid streaks, do your cleaning on a cloudy day or when the sun’s not directly shining on the windows.
Moss Removal:
To round off the clean-up, we turn our attention to your roof. Moss grows in cool, moist, shaded areas, and can damage your roof severely as the temperatures drop. If you have a lot of tree cover over your roof, trim the branches down to let in more sunlight – moss hates the warm light – and it’ll help kill the moss naturally. Next, make the moss’ environment either more acidic or base. The latter is a better option as it protects your shingles. Common household items can be used to achieve this, either by themselves or by being mixed with water. Bleach, salt, baking soda, baking powder, soap and ammonia are popular choices.
A few tips now on what NOT to do.
Remember : DO NOT MIX BLEACH & AMMONIA. Make sure you test your cleaning fluids before applying them on your entire roof.
These tips will guide you with the best and hassle free ways of managing your home during Fall and the upcoming winter in Anchorage
Watch this space for more ideas and tips on Fall Clean-up, Home Maintenance, Winterization, Snow Plowing and Snow Removal.
