FALL PREP 101
Get the rakes out when the leaves fall
Owning a home can be a lot of work, especially when we live in a place with such a drastically fluctuating climate. It can wreak havoc on our properties, both indoors and out, and without proper maintenance, that will take its toll on a house. Autumn, therefore, is the perfect season for some prep work to not only get ready for the colder temperatures but to also repair any wear and tear incurred during the summer months. And today marks the start of the fall season.
It’s not just the exterior that needs some seasonal TLC; our interiors can use some sprucing up as well. So, we turned to a couple of experts to get their best tips for prepping your house for fall.
OUTSIDE
Doing some manual labour outdoors will mean less work and less damage come next spring. If certain things aren’t done to prepare your landscape for the first frost, you’ll find yourself with weak or even dying grass and plants.
“Start by picking up all dead leaves that are on the ground,” Mylena Gamache Godin, merchandiser assistant at Rona, suggested. Dried leaves can suffocate the grass, especially after the snow arrives, and they can encourage future weed growth.
Your best bet is to rake the lawn (also known as “thatching ”).
“Aeriation is extremely vital for the health of the lawn, and allows air and water to penetrate the grass,” David Bertrand, store manager of the Réno-Dépôt in Pointe-Claire, said. “Then use a good fertilizer to keep the nutrients in the grass all winter long.
“You’ll get maximum efficiency of the fertilizer when you use it after raking,” he said, and recommended looking for fall-specific fertilizers.
“At the very end of the fall season, place a lawn cover on the grass so all the debris doesn’t stay on the grass,” Bertrand said. In the spring, when you take off the lawn cover, your grass will be much cleaner and neater, and it will grow back all the easier.