School Yourself In Seasonal Home Prep

Sharpen your #2 pencil (just kidding — you won’t need it). Fall is nearly here, and it’s time for a quick refresher on home maintenance. Think of this as your seasonal pop quiz, only instead of grades, you get a safer, cozier home. Let’s see how many of these you can ace ...

1. To make sure your chimney is clean, free of cracks, and safe to use, you should:

A.  Climb up through the fireplace flue.

B.  Jump down through the top. (Hey, Santa does it.)

C.  Light a fire and hope for the best.

D.  Hire a certified professional to do the job safely and thoroughly.

2. When you set your clocks to “fall back,” you should also:

A.  Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

B.  Enjoy your extra hour of sleep.

C.  Amaze your friends with trivia that Benjamin Franklin came up with Daylight Saving, but the U.S. didn’t adopt it until 1918.

D.  All of the above.

3. Touching up cracked paint on the exterior of your house:

A.  Prevents peeling and keeps the exterior looking fresh.

B.  Protects siding from weather, pests, and sun damage.

C.  Maintains the curb appeal (and the value) of your house.

D.  All of the above.

4. Before storing lawn and garden equipment for the season, you should:

A.  Clean dirt off shovels, hoes, and other garden tools, then dry them to prevent rust.

B.  Prep gas mowers by draining fuel, changing oil, and removing spark plugs; for electric mowers, charge the battery, then remove it and store it in a cool, dry place.

C.  Organize tools so you can actually find them next spring.

D.  All of the above.

Answers:
If you picked “D” every time, you passed with flying fall colors!