As the year draws to a close, many of us are busy with all the hustle and bustle that accompanies getting ready for the new year and the holiday seasons. But don’t let that distract you from taking care of your lawn, power equipment, and home. A little extra maintenance now can make things much easier around your home, in your lawn, and when using your power equipment next year.
1) Leave The Lawn Alone
If you look up tips for prepping lawns for winter, you’ll often find people recommending late fall fertilizing or aeration at the end of the year. This isn’t a good idea for southern lawns with warm-season grass (including the Bermudagrass, zoysia, and other species commonly found in Texas lawns).
Warm-season grasses go dormant over the winter. They won’t need any more fertilizer after the weather starts turning cool. Also, wait until next spring to aerate the lawns and stop watering unless the weather stays unusually warm for 2 weeks with no rain. Then you can start watering for about 15 minutes no more often than once a week until the weather cools again or it rains.
2) Winterize Your Equipment
Most fuels you use in your mower and other lawn equipment contain up to 10% ethanol. This isn’t a problem as long as you use up the fuel within about 30 days after purchase. But letting fuel sit in the tank over winter can mean problems resulting from the degrading ethanol causing condensation in the gas tank.
You can either drain the fuel or add a fuel stabilizer before storing your mower, trimmer, and other tools. Then, clean-up your lawn equipment before putting it in storage. Remove dirt and dried grass, clean air intakes, clean and/or replace the air filter and spark plug, and lubricate pivot points so they won’t rust.
3) Check On Your Chainsaw
If you plan on doing winter wood cutting, there are a few things to keep in mind. Some saws have a winter/summer setting. Once the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, switch to the winter setting to keep the carburetor from icing.
Chainsaws require extra maintenance during winter. Pay careful attention to the sprocket cover, chain brake, anti-vibration system, throttle trigger, and cooling air intake. They’ll all need to be cleaned more often than usual to keep them clear of ice, snow, and sawdust. Also, remember to brush snow away from the fuel tank opening before refueling to keep moisture out of the tank.
4) Give Your Home a Tune-Up
A little preventative maintenance can do wonders for a home. No one wants to get into the middle of the coldest week of the year and have the furnace go out due to a problem that could have been fixed earlier in the year. Get your boiler or furnace tuned now and avoid problems during the winter.
Fall is also a good time to finish any repairs you’d been putting off like replacing missing shingles or securing loose boards on the deck or steps. Cleaning gutters, caulking around windows and doors, and turning off exterior faucets are also good tasks to mark-off your pre-winter maintenance checklist as you take the time to let the lawn rest, prep your lawn equipment for winter storage or use, and make sure your home is ready for winter.
