Fall Home Improvement 2022

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT

Fall

Improvement

Time to Winterize Autumn in Bloom

Colorful flowers aren’t found only in the summer

So many perennials, ground covers and annu als reach their peak during the warmer months, lead ing most amateur gar deners to assume that fall can’t match their beauty. But a number of plants put on their own breath taking show of color every autumn. You just need to know which flourish later in the year — and whether your climate will support them.

FALL FLOWERS

Landscapes and gardens don’t have to go dormant in the fall. Several kinds of flowers burst with life long after the beaches empty and swimming pools have

closed: New York asters offer bursts of blue, white, pink and purple. Cosmos also remain in bloom from mid-summer into the fall, adding pops of red, pink, white, yellow and orange. Showy stonecrop will pe rennially turn from pink into a gorgeous crimson as autumn unfolds. Bolto nia’s daisy-like flowers boast pinks and whites that will perfectly border any fall garden.

SHRUBS AND TREES

Flowers aren’t the only plants that put on a bright and exciting performance after summer memories fade. Lush, green oakleaved hydrangea turn

Save money now and in the future by winterizing your home now, before the worst of winter arrives. Drafty doors and windows, failing furnaces and leaky roofs should be addressed or they risk becoming a much, much bigger issue as temperatures drop. In some cases, win terizing your home takes nothing more than a bit of sweat equity.

WINDOWS AND DOORS

Inefficient doors and windows make it more difficult to warm your home, sending energy bills soaring. The danger doesn’t end with uncomfortable drafts, however. Leaks that let in winter temps also allow in condensation, which can lead to rot in the wood frames that sur round your doors and windows. Caulk ing or weather stripping is often all that’s needed. If you decide to entirely replace them, consult local professionals to find out more about the most efficient new models. Then hire a licensed profession al to make sure you receive a warran ty-protected installation.

FURNACE ISSUES

Electric and gas furnaces need an nual service checks in order to operate optimally. Most are projected to work

efficiently for around 10-15 years before they need replacement. You don’t want that term to end when there’s snow on the ground. The good news is, it’s easy to monitor any system’s age. A sticker with the model number, date of manufacture and date of installation should be found on the unit. If your system has been in place for more than a decade, it may be time to consider a complete overhaul or unit replacement. Even if your furnace manages to limp through the looming cold season, an inefficient system can still have a huge impact on your bottom line. Residential costs have been sky rocketing lately, and the U.S. Energy In formation Administration predicts that trend will continue.

OTHER TROUBLE SPOTS

Check your roofing each fall for dam aged shingles and leaks.

If you don’t feel comfortable with do ing this inspection yourself, hire a pro fessional. They can help head off serious issues.

Power wash all siding and decks so re maining dirt doesn’t promote mold and mildew. Add a new coat of sealer to the exterior of your home to help minimize the impact of winter precipitation.

ruby red every autumn. The American yellow wood’s fragrant white blooms will drop off as fall begins, but then the leaves transform into an amazing yellow color. The white fringe tree al so boasts dazzling yellow foliage. Red pillar, a per fectly named form of Jap anese barberry, will add a flourish of reddish-purple leaves to your late-season landscape. The amur ma ple’s foliage transforms from green to orange in autumn’s earliest months, while the leaves of a kou sa dogwood turn a strik ing red.

CLIMATE CONSIDERATIONS

Several areas of the country are rightly fa mous for their fall colors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn your personal landscape into something special for the season. You just have to pay atten tion to specific tempera ture zones. Conditions in your area impact whether these flowers, shrubs and trees will do well. Talk to professional gardeners, experts at garden centers or personnel from local ag centers to find out more, since recommended tem perature zones play such a huge role in whether these plants thrive. Choose with an eye on average high and low temperatures, and your fall garden will be enlivened for years to come.coat of sealer to the exterior of your home to help minimize the impact of winter precipitation.

The Perfect Fall Centerpiece

Autumn’s colors make any gathering warm and inviting

Foliage, plants, traditional items and candles in the shades of autumn can provide just the right season-fo cused touch for your next table setting. Then comple ment your fall centerpiece with handpicked accessories to complete the look.

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

Look for leaves, branches, vegetables and flowers that reflect the traditional colors of fall — from rich reds to bold oranges to warm yellows. Weave them together into a circular or oval shape to create the foundation of your centerpiece, or craft a free-form garland. You could also paint a plain woven bread basket to create a cozy place to collect it all. If you’re not necessarily that crafty, you can also purchase an autumn-themed centerpiece and use these handpicked items to personalize it. Cornucopias

are a classic choice that will provide timeless memories for a new generation. Place fall-colored and -scented flowers around the arrangement. Complete the center piece with wheat sprigs, small pumpkins and squash, or other seasonal foods like apples.

FINISHING THE LOOK

Select napkins, placemats and a tablecloth that fit in to the color palette you’ve created with the centerpiece. Then get creative: Paint leaf patterns by hand on wooden napkin rings to give them a sense of homemade charm. A hollowed-out pumpkin can also be used as a vase. Large fallen leaves from outdoors can serve as fall-fo cused place cards. Rinse them first, then allow each to dry before carefully inscribing them with the names of friends and family. Go around the table, placing one in front of each plate.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

Make sure your centerpiece isn’t so large that there isn’t room for glasses, condiments and serving platters. It also shouldn’t be so tall that guests struggle to see one another. Don’t light the candles, since that may interfere with the scrumptious aromas associated with the meal

Got Gutters?

you’ll serve at this fall gathering. Don’t be afraid to keep it simple: Arrange a grouping of mismatched gourds and pumpkins to very easily transform your tabletop. Focus on varying sizes and colors. Rather than worrying with formal floral arrangements, collect dried branch stalks in a variety of vases. For more pops of color, wrap the branches with wool and fleece, creating a sculptural conversation piece.

Get Those Gutters Cleaned

As they fail, however, these very serious issues can begin to quietly take root. You may find yourself with a hefty repair bill when all that was needed in the first place was more regular maintenance. There is also an acknowledged lifespan for these systems, based on the material they’re made of.

HOW THEY WORK

Properly installed, well maintained gutters keep rain from entering eaves and exterior walls. They also keep water away from your foundation. Without this important drainage system, water intru sions can lead to mold and rot, stain sid ing and brick, and potentially even desta bilize your home. Water that hasn’t been rerouted may collect around the perim eter of the structure, creating the ideal condition for interior flooding and foun dation cracks.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Blockages and dislodged joints are the most common problems associated with these systems. It’s critical to make regu lar inspections since overflows lead to all of the same issues as having no gutters at all. That’s particularly true in the fall, since wetter weather is ahead. Overflows

may also be caused by poorly designed systems that do not have enough down spouts to handle average rain showers.

Look for signs of rust, since that’s a sign that you’ve reached the end of the sys tem’s natural lifespan. The average galva nized steel or aluminum guttering system is meant to last about 20 years, accord ing to the National Association of Home Builders. If it’s time for a major repair or replacement, seek out a licensed, insured contractor.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Inspecting your gutters will obviously in volve time spent on a ladder, and that can lead to a dangerous situation if you don’t proceed with caution.

Use a spotter to ensure that the ladder is sturdy and secure. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors also recommends that you constantly re position your ladder, rather than reaching beyond your immediate grasp.

Working in that position potentially cre ates an imbalance issue. Wear gloves since there may be loose fasteners or sharp de bris lodged in the gutters. If you plan to in spect your gutters from the roof, be sure to wear footwear with proper gripping.

When gutters are working as they should, they provide a largely unnoticed defense against rain intrusion, foundation erosion and water damage.

Up on the Roof

Winter can be very, very hard on the top of your home.

You don’t want to go into the cold er months with a roof that’s showing its age. The integrity of this vital element of your house will likely be tested by ex treme moisture, the weight of snow, and the season’s natural cycle of freezing and thawing. That’s why fall is such a criti cal time to inspect, repair and/or replace your roof.

INSPECTION TIMELINES

Professional roof inspections should be done on a semi-annual basis, accord ing to the American Society of Home In spectors. You can also perform your own spot checks in the interim, being on the look out for cracked or curling shingles, and stains or damp places in the attic. Ad dressing these issues becomes a lot more difficult, and a lot more costly, once a long winter sets in.

WORRISOME SIGNS

Professional inspectors will close ly examine your roof, both on its exte rior and from the interior of your home. They’ll check the shingles for wear or damage, paying close attention to any ice dams and the general state of the chim ney, if you have one. Inside, they’ll be on the look out for moisture, ventilation is sues and mold. They’ll also evaluate your

insulation. Next they’ll create a complete report outlining any issues, the urgency of those issues and a plan of action to ad dress them.

BIGGEST DANGER

Those who live where snowfall is very heavy can be at risk for roof collapse, sim ply from the weight of winter precipita tion. Even a roof that’s in good shape can only support about 20 pounds of snow per square foot of roofing, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Fall inspections are even more important for those who regularly experience this kind of wintry weather. In some cases, snow removal may be recom mended while still in the midst of winter.

SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS

Some repairs should begin in the fall in order to get the best results. For example, treatments for lichen and moss require as many as 180 days to become fully effec tive. New shingle replacements will fail if they’re sealed when the temps are too low. Repairs on icy roofs are extremely dangerous, so problems discovered too late may have to remain until the spring in order to be fixed.

Autumn Lawn & Gardening Keep Out the Outside

Cooling temps have a way of revealing insulation problems.

As summer exits the stage, cooler winds follow. You’ll certainly note the change if there are issues with weather stripping or insulation in your home. These leaks do more than create discomfort — they can cost you big bucks over the course of a frigid winter. It’s best to identify and correct these things in the fall before the prob lem worsens.

DOORS

Autumn is typically accompanied by lots of clean up, as foliage moves from green to fall’s rich colors and then to brown. But your home garden can still produce some of the tastiest foods of the season, if you plant smart.

WHY FALL?

Autumn is actually the ideal time to plant perennials and new bulbs, but al so shrubs, trees and certain vegetables. The soil remains warm even as exterior temperatures cool, making for the ideal setting for new root growth, according to the National Gardening Association. The roots of most plants continue to grow un til the soil temperature descends into the 40s — meaning, well into winter.

FALL BOUNTY

Several vegetables thrive as summer turns into the cooler months. Some even survive after the season’s first frost. Broc coli is among the most resilient, stands up to cold and pests, and is packed with vitamins and minerals, according to Or ganicGardening.com. In particularly frigid climates, broccoli does a bit bet ter when started indoors and then trans ferred to your outside garden after a few weeks. Beets are non-temperamental,

inexpensive and robust fall growers. They’re also very versatile in that you can use both the vitamin-rich roots and the leaves in a variety of recipes. Just remember to plant them very deeply so they will grow best, and not to leave them in the ground for an extended pe riod. Long roots are tougher, and harder to cook. Carrots are also a fall and even late-winter favorite, depending on which zone you live in. They have a long shelf life and are tasty whether picked early or left to grow to full size.

CLEAN UP

Fall is a great time to tidy up and tack le certain pruning chores. Rake leaves from your lawn into a compost pile, or mow over them to create sources of nu trition for the grass.

The National Gardening Association also recommends allowing fallen leaves to remain in flower beds, since they work as a kind of insulation for the soil.

Generally speaking, it’s a bad idea to prune in the fall, but there are notable exceptions. Take down dead tree limbs, in particular if you live in an area that’s prone to heavy snow. Cut back plants that draw slugs and any perennials with disease issues.

Some drafts might not be particularly noticeable, because autumn tempera tures haven’t fallen much. So walk from window to window and door to door with a lit candle. Place the flame around their edg es to see if it flickers. You may have to call a profes sional inspector to get to the hardest-to-find places where cold air might even tually pour in. They’ll pay close attention to attic ac cess points and fireplace dampers. Depending on how large the gap is, you may be able to use foam tape or weather stripping as a corrective measure. New sweeps seal gaps be tween the bottom of the door and your threshold. Weighted socks (or “door snakes”) can also block smaller points of entry.

WINDOWS

As much as 10% of to tal air leakage may be at tributed to gaps around home windows, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Smaller leaks can be addressed with caulk ing, which is both highly effective and inexpensive. Window film can also be

put in place to seal drafts. Simply heat the film with an every-day hair dryer. Professional repairmen or knowledgeable employees at your hometown hard ware store may have addi tional tips. If these patch jobs don’t work, you may need new windows. In that case, look for replace ments that have higher Energy Star ratings in or der to lower your monthly costs.

INSULATION

The recommended lev el of insulation for most attics is 10-14 inches, de pending on the type used.

Fall is the time to eval uate your needs before it’s tested by ice and snowy conditions. Be sure that insulation has a proper ventilation path to your home’s exterior, and that gable vents, soffits or ridg es haven’t become blocked since that can create a moisture problem. Make sure any new insulation isn’t placed around old writing.

Batt or blown-in insula tion can prevent the nec essary dissipation of heat in conductors from long ago, creating a fire risk.

Leaves may be falling, but the harvest can continue.

Fall

Kitchen Cabinets with Color Home Office Conversions

All-white or off-white kitchens were all the rage for years. Now this generation has discovered what every other generation who enamored of a sparkling white kitchen realized: They are impossible to keep perfectly clean.

Remote work, a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, is here to stay.

Projections say that a quarter of all profession al jobs in North America will be remote by the end of this year, and that trend is expected to steadily in crease. That means you’ll need somewhere more permanent than your din ner table to set up office. Here’s how to set up your most productive space.

Picking a Location

Look for a room in your house — or a space that you can find some privacy — to set up your office. Re member that this will need to be somewhere fairly qui et, maybe with a lockable door for those important meetings. Look for plac es that are out of the way of most of the traffic in your home and away from distractions.

The hottest ways to embrace the kitch en cabinets with color trend.

Go Bold, Go Home

Big, bold colors like turquoise, Kel ly green and deep oranges are having a heyday in the kitchen. Designers are also going for turning the color wheel, pick ing opposites like deep greens and shell pinks for maximum contrast. Unexpect ed shades are all the rage, but you do what makes you feel good. Mark Wilkin son, founder of Mark Wilkinson furni ture, tells Homes and Gardens that’s what’s most important in a color is not that it’s on-trend or on magazine covers, it’s what makes you feel good.

“The color in a kitchen — be it on walls or fittings — should last for at least five years, minimum, so try to look beyond immediate trends and choose a kitchen color scheme that will keep you feeling good long term,” he said.

Take Baby Steps

Not brave enough to deck all the walls? Then choose one part of your cabinetry

to color, such as a kitchen island or cab inets above or below a bar. That way, you get a pop of color without a huge commitment.

Yellow, a classic sunny kitchen color, can bring new life and vibrancy to an is land, and looks especially chic with dark countertops.

If you want to keep the space light but don’t want white, try cool minty or light blue colors. Add darker hardware for some drama. Gray is always a classic color and looks great in contemporary or more rustic spaces.

Little Changes, Big Statement

While you’re painting and have the cabinet hardware off anyway, consider changing it out to breathe a whole new life into your space. First, pick a finish that accentuates that new color. Start with one that matches your kitchen fau cet and go from there. Don’t be afraid to mix and match metals, but remember you want everything to coordinate, even if it doesn’t match perfectly.

Furnishings

Next, you’ll need to make it comfortable. Start with the biggest piece of furniture, the desk. There are all kinds of desk op tions on the market, in cluding ones that fold away for quick storage, all the way to giant exec utive models with plenty of room for laying out all your work tasks. Pick one that will fit your space and how you work. If you’re sharing the room with something else, like us ing a guest room as your home office or the fami ly dining room, look for a leaning desk or one with a roll-top or doors so you can put work away when you need to.

You’ll also need a com fortable desk chair that

you can sit in all day with out pain. Choose one that will let you sit with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the ground. If you tend to fid get, consider adjustable models that will allow you to keep your chair er gonomic no matter your position.

Lighting and More Make sure your space

has plenty of electrical cords for your work set up. Have an electrician install a few more outlets is a small job that may be worth it to make sure ev erything is safely plugged in. You may also have to have your internet provid er install a line so that you can hardwire your com puter directly to a connec tion for security and opti mal speed.

Adding Motion Lighting

Consider installing motion sensors (not the kind in your driveway) to help you save energy inside your home. These sen sors work the same way the ones you may have outside for security, but they work inside to save not your belongings from thieves but your money from the electric company.

Different Kinds of Sensors

You’re probably familiar with motion sensors. They turn lights one when they detect motion and then turn them off some set time after that motion. Outdoor lighting and security lighting usually come equipped with some kind of motion sensor.

Indoors, these sensors are usually called occupancy sensors and they detect

motion within a certain area. This means that when your kids enter a room, the lights come on and stay on while they’re in there. Once they leave, the lights turn off, no yelling required.

Occupancy sensors need to be locat ed where they can see the whole space and may also include sensors for sounds, heat and motion. That way the Roomba doesn’t turn on the lights. Photosensors can help keep the lights from turning on during daylight hours.

How to Install Occupancy Sensors

You can get lights with occupancy sen sors already installed, but if you like your existing features, you can also swap out a switch to add an occupancy sensor to the room. The sensors are attached to the

switch, so keep that in mind if the switch isn’t placed so it can see the whole room.

Depending on the system you install, you may be able to get sensors to extend a switch’s range.

Switch models often include more than one type of sensor to help detect occupan cy, such as a motion sensor and an infra red sensor. Sensing switches cost around $20 and usually have programming to turn off the lights in minute increments

Statement Wallpaper

Powder rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms are all getting rolls of pat terned paper where statement walls once reigned supreme. Here are some wallpaper trends to get stuck on this year.

Texture Today’s wallpapers aren’t your mother’s country geese. Many of to day’s designs feature luxe textures that can give a room a plush feel. And it goes beyond seagrass and fabric-like textures, too. Arte Inter national’s Metal X line looks likes oxidized metal sheeting.

Wallpapers also mimic the look of brick, concrete and even rustic woods. Feature these textures on a statement wall in a bedroom for an earthy, relaxing space.

Florals

Floral patterns never go out of

style, but in today’s biophilic design world, look for patterns that soften the atmosphere. And don’t be afraid to play with bold patterns in small spaces.

“As a result of spending more time at home, our clients are more on board with adventurous patterns, texture and bold color, or play with scale and form,” Rosie Ward of Ward & Co. told House Beautiful.

Heather Hacket of Christy sug gests going big with patterns but keeping the tone classic to allow for longevity in your design.

Peel and Stick

No longer do you need a profession al to hang paper, and you don’t have to live with your bold design choice for ever. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is get ting better every year, and the num ber of on-trend patterns to choose from can be overwhelming. These

wallpapers can even work in rentals to help make a first apartment a first home.

Start out by choosing just one wall, particularly if you’ve chosen a bold color, texture or pattern (and espe cially if you’ve chosen all three at once). Look for a heavier paper to get the best quality and measure your room carefully to make sure you get enough paper to cover your space. Take into account doors and windows and always order more than you think you’ll need.

You may need a couple of extra tools to make the job easier. Always defer to manufacturer instructions, but con sider things like a flexible smooth ing tool for working out air bubbles and a small craft knife to help you cut the paper. Clean the walls before you start and, if you can, lightly sand the wall to help the wallpaper stick.

up to 30 minutes. They install quickly and easily over existing switch hardware and may even feature coordinating wall plates to seamlessly match your decor.

When choosing an occupancy sensor switch, be aware that there are different models for different sized rooms. Choose the one that best fits the room you’re cov ering to make sure it works properly in your area.

Wallpaper, that design look from the 1990s that never really went away, is having another moment.

Lighting controls today go way beyond the switch.