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As the clock turns: Homeowner's autumn checklist
1. Your roof and fences: Clear leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts; if a clog forces melting ice back against the shingles, it could cause an ice dam - a serious hazard to your roof. Look for loose or broken shingles or damaged vents on the roof while you're at it. Check your chimney for loose brick or crumbling mortar, which is harder to repair once it gets colder. Remember - always have a strong adult to steady the ladder for the person on the roof. Now is also the time to repair fences, lattices, or trellises. 2. Yard and garden tools: First, remove any dirt with a wire brush or the wire whisk attachment on a power drill. Sharpen blunted tools like hoe's, spades, pruners, loppers and saws, and check them for any loose screws or nuts. Finally, spray any metal parts and cutting edges with a penetrating oil like WD-40. And wipe wooden handles with boiled linseed oil to prevent cracking and drying. 3. Power tools: Change the oil and sparkplugs of any equipment, and have blades sharpened. (This can be done professionally.) 4. Hoses and irrigation systems: Straighten and drain your hose, and store it in a loose coil or on a reel - not hanging from a nail. Don't leave an opportunity for water to enter the hose over the winter months. Blow out the lines of your irrigation system to ensure that ice can't split and break the waterlines below ground. Turn off any outside taps at source, then drain them at the faucet. 5. Wheelbarrows, carts and wagons: Touch up any paint chips and treat any rust spots. Spray wheels with oil to keep them running smoothly. 6. Outdoor lights: Replace bulbs and ensure that switches and timers are adjusted for the shorter daylight hours. Found major repairs that you should have done before the winter? A mortgage consultant, like one of the 800 plus Mortgage Intelligence consultants across the country, can outline how to use the equity in your home to get the money you need, at today's attractive mortgage rates. Information provided by Mortgage Intelligence. For more
information: www.mortgageintelligence.ca or 1-877-308-4892.
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(NC)-Forget the weatherman - we know the warm season is
over when we turn back our clocks for standard time. Mornings are dark and
colder, and winter's just around the corner. Protect your investment in your
home and garden now -make those important repairs before the snow flies!
