September Maintenance Tips For Your Eichler Home

My grandmother always used to say, “A stitch in time saves nine.”  There is nowhere that this old adage holds truer than in home maintenance.  Doing a little seasonal upkeep around the house doesn’t take long and will help keep your home in tip-top shape.  With summer beating a hasty retreat and autumn just around the corner, now is a great time to bite the bullet and invest a little time in making sure your home is ready for the upcoming winter months.

Although Eichler homes are unique, upkeep on them is very similar to any other home.  Among the things you’ll want to check on and fix up in your Eichler in the autumn are:

• Fireplace and chimney:  Have an annual inspection/cleaning by a certified professional.
• Heating system: Many of us Eichler owners still have radiant heating.  Whether you have an original Eichler boiler, a replacement unit, or have switched to another type of heating, autumn is the best time to check for leaks and give your system a tune up.
• Roof: The flat rooflines that lend Eichlers their clean and contemporary look require a certain amount of attention. When the winter rains arrive you don’t want pooling water or leaks on your roof.  Check for signs of blistering, cracking, or low spots where water might pool.
• Gutters:  As autumn leaves fall, you need to stay on top of keeping the gutters and downspouts cleaned out.
• Trees:  Be sure tree limbs are at least 10’ away from your chimney and trim any dodgy looking limbs that are near your roof.
• Smoke and CO detectors:  Change the batteries and test your monitors to be sure they are working properly.
• Clothes dryer vent:  These gather lots of lint and should be cleaned out periodically to avoid the risk of fire.  Now is as good a time as any to take care of it.

Now is also a good time to take care of a few yard maintenance jobs.  For some suggestions on landscape care, check out my recent blog Autumn Gardening Tips.  If you are looking for a professional to help with maintenance on your Eichler, we have a comprehensive list of vendors on our Eichler Home Improvement Service Provider Directory.