Quick and Easy Fall Home Maintenance Projects

Marin Ace Helps Homeowners Get Ready for Colder Weather

Marin Ace wants to help San Rafael homeowners prepare for the approaching winter weather by sharing some quick and easy home maintenance tips and advice . Marin Ace teamed up with Ace Hardware’s Home Expert, Lou Manfredini, to help its customers turn their fall home maintenance to-do lists into to-done lists for winterizing your home.

“Before the weather gets too cold, there are plenty of simple projects homeowners can take on this fall,” says Lou Manfredini, Ace’s Home Expert.

“Having a well maintained home doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Many projects that take less than fifteen minutes to complete and can have a lasting effect on your home and even help you save money,” added Jeff Leopold, owner of Marin Ace. “Whether working on the inside or outside of your home, we have the best brands and helpful advice you need to get the job done right.”

With winter right around the corner, Manfredini and Leopold offer these quick and easy tips:

Seal Out Drafts: As the weather becomes colder, fall is the ideal time to seal up any areas in your home that may let cold air in. Homeowners should walk around the house and identify these areas. Once found, a weather stripping caulk should be applied to fill in areas where cold air is coming through. Make sure to smooth the caulk over the gap to get a tight seal. This will prevent cold air from getting through and also help to lower homeowners’ monthly heating costs.

Replace Filters: Replacing HVAC filters is often over-looked but it is a very important step in improving the indoor air quality of a home. Pleated filters are more expensive than standard fiberglass filters but they are ten times better in trapping allergens and other debris that can pollute indoor air. The filter will last for two months before it should be replaced to maintain air quality.

Rodent Prevention: When the outdoor temperature drops, rodents look for warmer temperatures indoors. Mice can fit through spaces as small as a dime. Homeowners should fill any holes around their home and pull away any items that are along the home by at least one foot so that rodents do not have a place to hide. Finally, place mouse or rat traps outside the home; Marin Ace doesn’t encourage the use of poison because other animals can eat the poisoned rodents and get poisoned themselves.

Update Outdoor Spaces: The fall climate also provides homeowners with ideal weather for exterior painting. New life can be brought back to the home’s exterior and outdoor furniture with a fresh coat of paint. Clark+Kensington® offers an exterior paint+primer in one that features low temperature capabilities and allows homeowners to paint outdoors in temperatures above 35°F. Additionally, it is made with unique ceramic micro-bead technology that enables the paint to bond better on surfaces to ensure a peel and crack resistant paint job.

Be Prepared: “Marin County can get more than its’ fair share of rain during the fall and winter, so be sure you have the tarps, cords, and bungees you need to fully prepare your outdoor items from the elements this winter”, suggests Jeff. “Also make sure your emergency kit is ready for the inevitable power outages that often happen in our wooded neighborhoods; check batteries, flashlights, radios, and make sure you have a non-electric telephone available for if your cell phone battery runs out.”

 For more fall home maintenance tips, please visit the helpful folks at Marin Ace or www.acehardware.com.

Marin Ace Store Information:

Store Hours:   

• Monday - Friday, 7am-7pm
• Saturday - Sunday, 8am-6pm
• Marin Ace will close at 5pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Address & Phone:      

• 180 Merrydale Road, San Rafael CA 94903
• 415/479-9393