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Fall Home Maintenance Tips
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FALL HOME & GARDEN - ANTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS - SEPTEMBER 2011
utter cleaning. Weather stripping. Caulking. Deck cleaning. No matter where you live, seasonal changes in temperature and moisture levels require special maintenance tasks during the fall months. For most people, their home is the single largest investment they will ever make. Just as with your car or your health, a regular maintenance program is necessary. Unfortunately, your home doesn’t come with an owner’s manual, so how do you know its maintenance needs? Furthermore, with the busy holiday season right around the corner, how do you find the time to handle them? Phil Sattler, owner of Mr. Handyman has some helpful hints for busy homeowners. “Some homeowners have a ‘To Do list’ of fall maintenance and repair items they just never get to,” says Mr. Sattler. “Others simply don’t know what to do and this can lead to costly repairs down the road.” Providing more than a hundred services, from replacing rotted wood, caulking windows, storm doors and deck cleaning, Mr. Handyman is busy helping homeowners get ready for fall and winter. Here are some key maintenance areas that Mr. Sattler says every homeowner should consider: • Replace rotted wood: siding, soffits and facia are common exterior surfaces that are exposed to the elements and are prone to damage. • Gutter and downspout cleaning: falling leaves and needles can clog your gutter system. Rain water isn’t diverted away from you home, which can lead to wet basements or foundation problems. • Weather sealing and caulking: with energy costs on the rise, an inadequately sealed home is expensive to heat. • Deck cleaning and sealing: unprotected flat surfaces such as a deck are prone to rotting, staining and mold. • Storm doors: attractive storm doors
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enhance your home’s charm, protect your main door and are energy-efficient. • Insulation: making sure your home is properly insulated is a great way to save money on energy bills. In addition to your fall maintenance tasks, Mr. Sattler says Mr. Handyman is also busy helping homeowners prepare for the holidays. “After Labor Day we start getting a lot of calls from people who want improvements made on their home before the holidays. Our techs are busy repairing damaged walls, replacing interior doors, installing shelves, putting up trim, fixing tiles...you name it, we’re doing it. People want their homes looking nice and in tiptop shape for holiday entertaining.” Mr. Handyman focuses on home repair and maintenance but gets very unusual tasks from time to time. “The most unusual request we’ve ever received was from someone whose cat had died and they wanted it buried in the backyard. They didn’t have a shovel and were pretty emotionally attached to the pet so didn’t want to bury it themselves anyway. They were delighted that we could help out.” Whatever your need, give Mr. Handyman a call. Mr. Sattler says that his customers love the fact that the techs show up on time and can handle nearly everything on a homeowner’s to-do list. “People are busy and don’t have the time to call three or four service providers. Our techs are experienced professionals who are insured, bonded and have gone through a background check. They can tackle just about anything our customers need. The fact that most of our business is from repeat customers tells me we’re doing something right,” he said. So, don’t wait. Now is the time to get your fall maintenance handled and prepare your home for the holidays. For more information on Mr. Handyman, call Phil Sattler at 516-349-7500.