Clock now ticking on outdoor chores

You go to work, get the kids off to school and all of their activities, clean up everyday messes, get meals on the table and launder through the washer/dryer/drawer-or-closet routine. And once in awhile you have enough time to look around and decide you need to replace that old wallpaper with a fresh coat of paint.

But, be honest. How often do you take the time to examine the weather stripping on your doors or the caulk around your windows?

Have you ever made a close inspection of your eaves, roof vents and dryer vents to make sure there aren't any openings where birds or something worse can get in?

Have you ever run your dryer's lint screen under water to see if those handy dryer sheets have left a residue, clogging the fine mesh and allowing a dangerous and potentially fire-causing build up of heat?

While the first of the year is usually the time when people make their resolutions, in the Chicago area January is not the best time to do outdoor maintenance work.

So in this part of the country, autumn becomes the ideal time to take stock of the seemingly minor maintenance issues around your house which, if left untended, could cause you to spend much more money on replacement down the road, and could certainly increase your payments to the gas and electric companies.

Energy efficiency is a high priority to homeowners who don't want to waste money, as well as to those who are concerned about global warming.

So many companies, including Des Plaines-based Feldco Factory Direct, a leading provider of custom-made windows, doors and siding in the Midwest, and Massachusetts-based Battic Door, a manufacturer of innovative energy conservation products, are rushing to provide solutions to problems that have nagged homeowners for generations.

David Cook, a spokesman for Feldco, recently shared several tips for inexpensive ways you can prepare your home for winter, including many that will prevent precious heat from escaping.

For instance, take a good look at the weather stripping and thresholds on your exterior doors. On a windy day, hold your hand up to see if you can feel any drafts. You can also make a visual inspection to see if the stripping is dented or deteriorating.

If you notice any of that, replace your weather stripping by ordering it from the original manufacturer or going to your local home improvement store.

"Of course, the best solution, however, would be to replace the old door with a new energy-efficient, fully-insulated steel or fiberglass door that can dramatically reduce air loss," Cook said.

And while you are looking at that new or old steel or fiberglass door, wash it thoroughly and then invest in some good paste-style car wax and apply it to that door. It will protect it from the elements and lengthen its life, Cook said.

Next, remove any window air conditioners and store them inside for the winter. Leaving them in a window during the winter is like leaving the window open the whole season.

And inspect your windows and doors for flaking, brittle or cracked caulk. Touch-up and reapply this, as necessary. Bad caulk can allow air to flow into and out of your house but it can also allow water to penetrate and rot window frames.

"Even vinyl windows are mounted into wooden frames in most houses and if water gets in there, those frames can rot," Cook explained.

And be sure to schedule an appointment to have your heating system checked before winter. They will check for carbon monoxide leaks, change filters and make sure that your system is in tiptop condition before the cold weather assaults us, Cook advises.

Battic Door (www.batticdoor.com) is marketing several products that can help your heat stay in and the cold weather stay out.

Targeting what they call the "four largest holes in your home - the folding attic stair, the whole house fan, the fireplace and clothes dryer," they have developed products that inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.

For instance, they sell an insulated attic stair cover that seals the stairs, stops drafts and prevents the loss of energy. They have also developed a shutter seal for whole house fans. Made from white textured flexible insulation, the shutter seal is installed over the ceiling shutter, secured with Velcro and trimmed to fit.

Even fireplaces with fireplace doors and closed dampers can be heat drains.

One study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating energy consumption by 30 percent. It becomes like a giant straw sucking your expensive heat or air-conditioning right out of your house.

Battic Door sells an inexpensive fireplace plug that you can use to seal the damper and eliminate drafts when the fireplace is not in use. It is an inflatable pillow that is easily pulled in and out of the fireplace, as needed.

Finally, there is the dryer vent that allows cold drafts into your home, especially when lint clogs it and forces the flapper valve to stay open. To solve this problem Battic Door has developed a dryer vent seal that remains closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is being used, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape.

Safety issues with regard to your home are also an important consideration at this time of year.

Have your chimneys cleaned and swept on a regular basis, Feldco's Cook cautioned. "Many fires occur as a result of creosote build up in chimneys," he said.

Check and replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors at least twice a year. The spring and fall daylight saving time changes are a great reminder to do this, he said.

Remove all exterior hoses and then either shut off the water to outdoor faucets or if that is not possible, install hose bib insulated covers to prevent the lines from freezing and damaging your home, Cook said. And while you are thinking in terms of water, purge any underground sprinkler system lines you may have and shut off that water to that system.

Clean your gutters and remove any gutter extensions to avoid freeze backups and ice damming. Believe it or not, a gutter system that is not working correctly can cause myriad problems, including damage to your foundation.

Vinyl windows also have a gutter system, of sorts, according to Cook. The system, which involves two or four weep holes at the bottom of each window, helps drain water from the window.

Each fall Cook said you should use a pipe cleaner, paper clip or other thin piece of wire to make sure these weep holes are clear of dust and minute bits of leaves. If they are clogged, they won't drain properly and it could hurt your window over time.

Next, Cook said, if you have central air conditioning with exterior condensers, invest in a cover for those condensers. Similar to a vinyl grill cover, they are just as easy to install.

"Those condensers have thin aluminum fins in their fans. If ice builds up on them, it can distort the thin aluminum and the system won't run as efficiently next cooling season," Cook explained. "You should also be maintaining those condensers by buying a spray-on solvent and then hosing them down to keep them clean in the spring. Dirt also impacts their efficiency."

And take a close look at your dryer lint trap. The dryer sheets that we all love can transfer a residue to that fine mesh that will block air flow and could potentially cause a dangerous build up of heat in your dryer, Cook said.

Just take that lint trap out and use dish soap and warm water with a gentle brush to clean it and remove that film. Try to remember to do it quarterly, Cook said.

Bird-proofing your home is also a good idea in the fall. Not all birds fly south in the winter. Many stay and try to take refuge from the snow and wind by roosting under a home's eaves, inside a chimney or even in an attic if a broken soffit cover allows them entry.

"Doing a quick check around your home to bird proof for the winter can save time and money in the future," said Bruce Donoho, owner of Bird-B-Gone Inc., a pest bird control manufacturer.

Bird nests and droppings can block gutters and drains and the acid in droppings can erode building materials and pose a threat to your health. Bird nests also carry parasites like bird mites that can spread through your home if you have birds in your attic, Donoho said.

Bird-B-Gone (www.absolutebirdcontrol.com) sells bird discouragers like spikes to discourage birds from sitting on your roof or window sills, chimney caps to keep them out of your chimney, vent covers to block access to your roof air vents and netting to keep them out of your eaves and attic.