Home Tips This Fall Season

Home Tips This Fall

Fall or autumn marks the transition from summer into winter. Fall is usually considered to start in September and ends in December. This year 2015, fall begins on September 23, early in the morning at 4:21 A.M.

Nights goes below-freezing temperatures and becomes longer and days go below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier and the leaves begin to drop off the trees. It is now the endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents. Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up.

With these changes and with winter fast approaching, there are home preparations or improvements that need to be done.

For a lot of people, fall is the time to do a thorough house cleaning, renovation, and inspection. Others want to get organized in preparation for selling their home. For whatever reason, if you want to organize your home, here's a list of things to do you might want to consider.

Home Maintenance Tips This Fall

Use these home maintenance tips during fall season to keep your house in shape and help keep you warm this winter:

• Gutters and Downspouts - Always clean and make sure all drainage areas are not blocked by leaves or anything. You may install gutter guards to avoid blockage. Inspect joints, and tighten brackets if needed. Clogged gutters cause ice dams. It is advised to replace old or damaged gutters with new ones that have built-in leaf guards.
• Roof - Roof inspection can be a DIY but you can also hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. Check if the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling. They might need to be replaced or if there's a lot of damage, you'd have to replace the entire roof. And do not forget to check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. Heavy snow and ice will find its way in through the leaks and gaps.
• Water Pipes - Exterior water pipes will burst when the weather gets below freezing. Make sure all the water is drained from the pipes, or else, the water can freeze up and damage the pipes. Wrap water pipes that run along exterior walls with heating tape. This will save energy and prevent them from freezing.
• Fireplace - Prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected, cleaned and repaired.
• Windows and doors - Due to weather and temperature changes, window seals crack and shrink. Always check your windows and doors for leaks and drafts. Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Use caulk to fill the holes or completely replace the wood. Install weather stripping around windows and doors. If not fixed, openings can cause water to get in and freeze, resulting in cracks and mold build-up.
• Lawn - Routinely rake up or use a mulching mower to shred the thick layers of leaves that settle on lawn surfaces. Large, wet leaves can compact and suffocate the grass underneath and lead to all kinds of insect and disease problems. You can also add the leaves to flower beds as a winter blanket for your garden. Fall is also a good time to aerate your lawn because it allows moisture and nutrients to get into the roots.
• Attics - Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly. The vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space or else, the insulation will trap moisture, causing possible water problems. And because attics are full of warm insulation - perfect for pests nesting, it is always a good idea to install a screen behind the gable vents that lead into the attic to keep those critters out.
• Basement - If you have a basement, and there is water seepage, you need to work around the foundation of your house. If nothing has hit the basement, take a walk around the outside of your house. Do you see any cracks along the foundation? You might have forgotten to water your foundation. One thing to remember is that with the soil in Texas, the foundation needs to be watered to keep it from cracking.
• Driveway - Inspect for cracks, clean, and repair any damage with driveway filler, then coat with a sealer. Seal the driveway now. It will help extend the life of the asphalt through the winter and beyond.
• Exterior - Check the exterior walls of the house to see peeling or blistering paint. Peeling paint can no longer protect the siding of the structure. Lower humidity and cooler but not so cold temperatures make fall a good time to paint or repaint the exterior of your home.
• CO detectors and smoke alarms - Each fall, always check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms. These are the most important detectors in a home. They save lives from house fires and the deadly carbon monoxide.

Fall Cleaning Time

While there is a spring clean, there is also what we call autumn/fall clean. "Spring and autumn cleans are the perfect opportunities to reorganize your house," says Shannon Lush, author of Speed Cleaning (ABC Books). Here's a list of things to do in a fall clean:

• Furniture, Cabinets, Wardrobes and Bookshelves - Clean the furniture, cabinets and bookshelves. The best way to tackle a messy cabinet, wardrobe or bookshelf is to empty it. Then, begin cleaning, dusting and sorting what you will keep from what you won’t. Sort which ones goes into the rag bag, which ones can be sold, which ones can be donated, or which ones can be passed on to friends and relatives. When you're done, you can rearrange the position of the furniture.
• Cupboard, Fridge and Pantry - Fall clean is also time to go through the cupboard. Sort which items are most-used and which ones can be stacked on the higher shelves. Clear and clean the shelves, then replace linings. Throw out old foods.
• Bathroom Cabinet and Medicine Cabinet - Sort through the bathroom cabinet and check the cosmetics, bath, and beauty products and clear out the expired ones or the ones that you are not using, might be that you've changed brands, etc. Also, sort through your medicine cupboard for any creams, cleaning products and medicines that are beyond the expiration date.

Before saying it's all done, make sure to clean garden tools and the other tools you used during the entire fall clean before storing for the winter. When you've finished the fall clean, it's "YEAH" time! Reward yourself and your family for a job well done. Go out and check out the different fall events and activities in the city. You may want to invite family friends for a visit and show off the new look of the house.

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Related Articles:

• Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in 2015
• Why You Should Get a Home Inspection
• Spring Preparation
• Backyard Treatments
• Spring Cleaning Time!
• Top Ranking Home Improvements
• Reliable Home Inspections – Water Your Foundation

If you are preparing your home for sale, or if you are interested in buying a home, The Fejeran Group serves the entire North Dallas area, including Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Garland, Van Alstyne, and Sherman. Contact me to find out how we can help you reach your goals!

**Texas law requires that all real estate licensees give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-K.pdf

Reliable Home Inspections - Water Your Foundation

Water Your Foundation

Home inspections are very important. Not only when you are in the process of buying a home, or selling a home, but it is also necessary to have a home inspection, where you've been living for years. Early home inspections can save you, just in case the house has any problems that could become costly surprises down the road.

You can hire home inspection services to get expert care, but you can also do this on your own. Inspection includes all the structural elements and systems of the home such as framing, roof and attic, foundation, walls, electrical system, plumbing system, heating and air conditioning systems, kitchen, bathrooms, etc.

After all those home inspections, you were able to identify which should be fixed and how to maintain them. On the maintenance, don't ever forget the FOUNDATION  of your house. This is usually being missed, thinking that it should always be stable.

Your home has to have a strong and stable foundation for your family and home's safety. A lot of things can happen if this is not taken good care of.

Summer season or extended dry periods can cause shifting or cracking in the foundation of homes. Soils are like sponge, they swell when they absorb water and they shrink when they lose water. Soils tend to dry out and shrink during the summer and absorb water and swell during the winter and spring. When soil becomes dry, the soil contracts, and the foundation sinks or shifts.

As the soil under a house shrinks and swells with the seasons, the house and foundation will move up and down. As long as the foundation movement is not great enough to damage the house or the foundation, it is not a problem. And if the up and down movement of a foundation always returns the foundation to its original level position, then damage to the house and foundation may appear and disappear on a regular basis as the seasons change. This will cause a lot of possible damages to your home. The causes include cracks on the wall, pipes breaking, chimneys shifting, and brick veneer cracks. These can be very dangerous. But this can be avoided.

You can protect your home's foundation before anything happens by watering the foundation during hot or dry seasons. The goal of foundation watering is to maintain the soil under the house and foundation in a constant level of moisture level that is neither wet and muddy nor dry and cracked. It is best to have the level of moisture maintained to several feet deep underground. You can perform simple foundation preventive maintenance program on your own. We have some of the methods or ways that can be done without hiring the experts.

Walk around the house and look where the soil is against the foundation. Observe and see if there's a gap between the soil and foundation. If there's no gap, it means the soil moisture is good. If there is a gap, you need to water the ground around the foundation until the soil gets enough water and swells to cover or close the gap.

If you wish to stop seasonal house and foundation damage, the first course of action should be to follow a controlled watering program. By keeping the moisture content of the soil under the foundation constant, foundation movement can often be stopped. There are ways on how to keep soil from drying and shrinking away from your foundation.

Hand Watering - This can be the simplest and easiest way of watering your foundation but it is not recommended. It is difficult to consistently apply the same amount of water around the entire foundation with a systematic approach.

Planting - One way is to plant around the foundation. Plants can protect the foundation by holding the soil and moderating the temperature of the soil. Plants provide shades so that the soil will not be directly getting heat from the sun and keeping the heat from evaporating water from the soil. They transpire moisture into the air creating a cooling effect. The plants' roots will hold the soil so to avoid soil sliding away from the house. Plants need water to grow and as you water and grow the plants, you are also watering the soil around the foundation. The most efficient way of watering is to water in short several cycles instead of watering in one long cycle.

Irrigation system - Another way is to create a dedicated irrigation zone around the house for watering foundation. It is best if you have an irrigation system at home. Check your city's Drought and Water Emergency Plans to know what foundation watering system will they allow. This is an alternative method in areas where there is no planting to help keep the moisture in the soil.

Drip Irrigation - Other option is to water the foundation by attaching a drip irrigation to an outdoor faucet with a timer. Install drip irrigation around the foundation by connecting to an outdoor faucet. Remember that drip irrigation works with low pressure so you should also use a pressure reducer when attaching to the faucet. Make sure you have a backflow preventer on the faucet to stop water from going back into the house pipes if there is a huge pressure draw in the house while the drip irrigation is running. For more use, you can attach a faucet splitter so the faucet can be used not only for irrigation. Also add a drip irrigation timer or a faucet timer to set the start time and running time. The tubing should be placed 8 to 18 inches from the foundation.


Soaker Hoses - Or, use soaker hoses to water foundations. Place soaker hose around the perimeter of the house 12 to 18 inches away from the foundation. Soaker hose also needs a backflow preventer just like the drip irrigation and it also works with low pressure. Usually, soaker hoses already have a pressure restrictor at the faucet end which prevents water high pressure.  You have to run the soaker hose for several hours for the soil to get enough moisture.


The best way to use a soaker hose is to bury a soaker hose, 3 inches deep and 6 inches from the edge of your foundation. Placing the hose a short distance from the foundation allows the water to soak into the soil evenly.

The hose should not be placed against the foundation. When soil has dried and cracked, water can travel along the cracks for several feet in all directions. If the soil around your foundation is dried and cracked, then water placed next to the foundation will run through the cracks and accumulate at the bottom of the grade beam. In some cases, an accumulation of water in the soil at the base of a foundation can cause the soil to lose some of its load bearing capacity. If the soil loses enough load bearing capacity, the house will sink into the ground.

The following video is from the Tom Tynan Show. It is another take on how to water your foundation by using soaker hoses. They've got some list of materials or tools needed and some tips. Take a look at this short video:


Obviously, it is necessary to water more during hot, dry weather and less during cold, damp weather. The amount of water required to keep a foundation stable during the summer can be surprisingly large. A single large tree can remove as much as 150 gallons of water, or almost 20 cubic feet of water, from the soil each day. Shrubs and other plants can also remove large quantities of water. During persistent hot dry weather, it may be necessary to water a foundation daily.

Things To Remember:

• Watering should supply enough water to keep the moisture content in the soil under the foundation constant.
• The hose should not be placed against the foundation.
• Water more during hot, dry weather and less during cold, damp weather.
• Check and comply with your city’s current rules and restrictions for water use.
• Run the hose or drips when evaporation is minimal, such as before dawn or after sunset.
• Run the hose or drips at a rate that allows the water to trickle into the soil, not pool or run off.
• Water your foundations 12 months a year.
• In a severe drought, you may need to consider installing root barriers between large hardwood trees, especially oaks, and your foundation.

Do not over water your foundation. This can cause the edge or exterior of your foundation to be raised higher than the interior of your foundation. You will know if you have over watered the foundation if the soil sounds wet, or squishes as you walk on it, or you easily leave impressions in the soil. You have way over watered if you see soil oozing out where it meets the foundation wall.

If foundation concerns are not addressed before they start, it can cost 10’s of thousands of dollars to repair them. To protect your foundation, you must water your foundation.

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Related Articles:

• Why You Should Get a Home Inspection 
• Spring Preparation
• Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in 2015
• Backyard Treatments
• Spring Cleaning Time!
• Top Ranking Home Improvements

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If you are planning to buy or sell a house, don’t stress yourself out, call us or stop by and our team of realtors will be happy to assist you.  Be sure to contact Sheila Fejeran to schedule a personal appointment at a time of your convenience.  You can reach The Fejeran Group at 972-948-0715, or contact Sheila via email at sheila.fejeran@gmail.com any time.  We look forward to finding the perfect home/buyer for you!

**Texas law requires that all real estate licensees give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-K.pdf