Knowing whether sweater weather's better

It's no secret this is one of the best times of the year in New England. We get the explosion of the fall colors. We start to see a big drop in the number of pesky bugs in the air. And hiking in fall is truly sublime. As I'm writing this, I'm becoming more annoyed that I'm not outside! But alas, duty calls.

When fall (or autumn for you high-class folks) swings through New England we start to smell the warmth from unseen fireplaces taking off the morning chill. Our lawns magically grow a layer of fallen leaves. And we stop short on the way out the door and grab that extra layer (or a hat in my case, because I shaved my head a few weeks ago and it's cold up there!). There are a few other things we should be doing this fall and I'd like to highlight a few of them today. Just some basic home (check it before you wreck it) maintenance items to keep you safe and warm throughout the wintery season. Refill your mug, curl up on the couch with a blanket (and a cat!) and let's dig in.

The first one is truly important, but is no easy task. The goal is to check the insulation in your home to identify (and fix) any significant leaks. The easy ones are the windows and doors. In my cabin over in Lincoln (about 20 years ago!) I could literally watch the curtains move when the wind blew. Needless to say, in the colder months I put plastic on the outside AND inside of the windows. I'm sure it was not super healthy as far as air quality is concerned, but it made a massive difference with the temperature inside! When you're checking yours, it can be as simple as standing in front of the window/door on a windy, chilly day. You could even bring a candle over just to be a bit more precise. If you're feeling chilly, it's time to do something.

If you do find your home is a sieve, you have a couple options. Replacing windows and doors is not a budget-friendly project, but is incredibly effective. Since we're already approaching the end of October, you have likely run out of time to get this done before the holidays. The other option, the one I took in my cabin, is to simply sure up those windows with plastic. I found the kind with double-stick tape that you "shrink-wrap" to the inside of your window frame with a hair dryer works amazingly well. You can still see outside and enjoy the sunshine, but the wind and cold get stuck in that pocket of air. I also stapled 3mil plastic around the windows on the outside of the cabin. Not something I would recommend, but that place called for it.

While we're on this topic of sealing off your home, it is also a great idea to test the home's air quality. There are some fancy monitoring devices that check temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, fine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (I KNOW, right!?). This can give you a clear picture of what's in the air you and your family are breathing. It can also provide some insights into why you are coughing, sneezing, or getting bloody noses. (Ask me how I know!) Once you have a more clear understanding of what's in the air you breathe, you can take steps to clean it up. New filters, more humidity, and other small adjustments can make a big impact on your breathing and quality of life.

Trim the tree(s). No not THAT tree. Cleaning up the trees around your home is a good idea in general. But when fall rolls around we all know those blustery snow storms are right around the corner. If you were here during the ice storm of '98, you know what it means to be without power for weeks on end. Check the trees around your home for broken or damaged limbs. Preventative removal of those will provide you with some priceless peace of mind. If they are way up high or close to power lines, call in the professionals. Otherwise you can grab a pruning saw and get to work on your own.

While we're outside, let's talk leaves and debris. I've read a handful of articles this season about the benefits of NOT raking one's leaves. It is supposed to provide nutrients for the lawn and a safe place to hang out for some wildlife critters. While I plan to "mow" them a bit just to break them up, I am planning to try it this year and let the leaves lie. I have a feeling I'm going to be faced with a big, fat mess in the spring, but alas, it's worth a shot. The one thing I will be doing is raking the leaves that are within five feet of the house. I don't want to encourage bugs and critters to harbor against the foundation and potentially work their way inside. I'll let you know how it goes.

Lastly, and circling back up there to the tree branch note, is preparing for power outages. The majority of homes I have lived in relied on electricity to provide heat. Even if your home is powered by oil or gas, it very likely takes some sort of electricity to push the air or water through the home to spread out that heat. More importantly, if your power goes out you'll have to move your beer outside to keep it cold. Oh, the horror. "Consider getting a generator this year and provide yourself with a little peace of mind," notes Badger Realty agent, Brendan Battenfelder. "Whole house units are great, but pricey. Even a smaller unit to run the fridge and furnace would be a great first step," he continued.

Just like how all the hard work the Red Sox put in all year, paid off nicely in game three last night (I'm writing this Tuesday morning. Holy cow, that was fun to watch!) If you put in some work ahead of the snow flying, you'll reap the rewards with a warmer home and (hopefully) a bug/pest-free basement. Happy winterizing! (and Go Sox!)