A Fall Checklist for Your Home Exterior

The angle of the sun changes in Calgary as we move into fall. It feels different. The shadows get longer, the days cool off, and there is a sense that it is time to get things in order before the ground freezes hard and the first real snow stays. This is the season for looking at the outside of your house, the shell that stands between you and winter. A few hours on a clear autumn weekend can prevent some headaches when the cold weather settles in. It is a quiet, methodical check of the systems that keep wind and water out.

Gutters and Downspouts

This is the classic fall chore for a reason. In Calgary, trees drop a lot of material in a short time. Poplar leaves, pine and spruce needles, and the bits from birch trees can fill an eavestrough quickly. When they clog, water has nowhere to go. It spills over the side, runs down your siding, and pools against your foundation. When the temperature drops, that wet debris freezes solid. The next time a chinook brings a thaw, melting snow from the roof hits that ice dam and backs up under your shingles, which can mean a leak inside your attic or walls.

Cleaning them is straightforward if you are safe on a ladder. You need gloves, a bucket, and maybe a small trowel. Scoop out the debris, then flush the gutters and downspouts with a hose to make sure they are clear. While you are up there, check that the troughs are still firmly attached to the fascia board. Heavy snow or a summer hailstorm can loosen the brackets. Make sure your downspouts send water well away from the house. An extension is a simple, effective way to help protect your foundation.

Siding, Windows, and Doors

Your home's siding is its first line of defense. Walk around the house and look it over. After a Calgary summer, it is common to find dings or cracks from hail, especially on vinyl or aluminum siding. Small cracks can let in moisture, which then freezes and expands, making the damage worse. Check for gaps where siding meets trim around windows or at the corners of the house.

Pay close attention to the seals around your windows and doors. Caulking can dry, crack, and pull away over time, leaving small gaps. These little gaps are where heated air escapes all winter. A tube of exterior-grade caulking is an easy fix for many spots. Check the weather stripping on your doors as well. If you can see daylight around the edges of a closed door, the stripping is probably compressed or damaged and needs to be replaced. Sealing these air leaks is one of the simplest ways to make your home feel warmer and keep heating costs under control.

The Roof Above

A home's roof takes a real beating from the weather. Fall is a good time to assess its condition before it is covered in snow. For most people, this means a careful look from the ground with a pair of binoculars. Look for shingles that are missing, cracked, or curling at the edges. Pay attention to the areas around vents, skylights, and the chimney. The flashing in these spots is a common source of leaks.

I walked a house once in Silver Springs where the homeowner had noticed a small water stain on their ceiling. It turned out the rubber boot around a plumbing vent on the roof had cracked from sun exposure. It was a simple repair for a roofer, but it could have caused a lot of damage if it had been left all winter.

If you are not completely comfortable and safe working at heights, this is work for a professional. A roofer has the safety gear and the experience to spot problems you might miss from the ground. Getting an opinion before winter can save you from a mid-season surprise.

Yard, Grading, and Foundation

As you do your final yard cleanup, think about where water will go when the snow melts next spring. The ground right around your house should slope away from the foundation. Over the years, soil can settle and create low spots where water collects. A bit of shovel work and some extra topsoil to build up the grade can make a real difference. This keeps water from sitting against your concrete and working its way into the basement.

This is also a good time to clear out your window wells. They fill with leaves and dirt, which hold moisture against your basement windows and can clog the drain at the bottom of the well. A window well full of wet, frozen leaves is trouble waiting during the first big thaw. While you are there, look at the exposed part of your concrete foundation. Note any new cracks. Small hairline cracks are often not a major concern, but it is useful to know where they are so you can watch them over time.

Decks, Fences, and the Garage

The last part of a fall walkaround is the other structures on your property. Cover or store the patio furniture and the barbecue. Give your deck and fence a quick inspection. Look for loose boards, wobbly railings, or posts that have started to lean. The frost heaving in this area is hard on fence posts. Securing a loose post now is much easier than wrestling with it in the mud of early spring.

Do not forget the largest moving part of your house: the garage door. Check that the weather seal along the bottom is intact and makes good contact with the floor. This keeps snow and drafts out. Look at the rollers and hinges. Many garage doors need a specific type of lubricant to work in the cold, not a heavy grease that hardens. Making sure the door moves freely now will help you keep it from freezing when the temperature really drops. A few minutes here can make the difference between a normal start to a frigid January morning and a car stuck inside.