It’s that time of year again. Temperatures are dropping, the wind is blowing, rain and leaves are falling, which means it’s time to act fast to get your home Fall and Winter ready. With these 5 Fall Fix-ups for your Home, you can prevent costly future repairs and start saving money on your energy bills today. We’ve shopped around for the best home improvement products to INCREASE SAFETY and SAVE MONEY on your home this Fall.

1. GUTTER BASKET

Gutters are designed to keep your home safe from water damage. Unfortunately leaves, pine needles, and other debris get caught in your gutters. They fill up your gutter and plug your downspout. Rainwater has nowhere to go except over the edge of your gutters. Water concentrates below and does not drain away, causing flooding. The Gutter Basket® is designed to help prevent an emergency situation and allow you to clean and maintain your gutters at your convenience. They also eliminate the problem of standing water and the resulting risk of breeding West Nile mosquitoes.

Hectic schedules may prevent you from cleaning your gutters on a regular basis. Enter The Gutter Basket!

2. STAIR TREAD & WALKWAY SAFETY

Wet stairs and walkways can literally be a Fall hazard for your family and friends at this time of year, when dirt, algae, leaves and other organic matter builds up on surfaces like wood, vinyl and even composite decking. Luckily, we have a solution that lasts, with a range of easy to install ‘Grips Strips’ – available in both durable Stainless Steel and UV resistant Plastic. They are ideal for a variety of residential and commercial applications and help keep your outdoor spaces safe for visitors all year round by adding traction where you need it.

CGS GripStrips™

CGS GripStrips™ are the most innovative product for exterior stairs, available on the market today!

When properly installed and maintained, GripStrips™ provide safer footing and may help prevent slips and falls. They are tough, long lasting, re-usable and GripStrips™ are resistant to weather, pressure washing, shoveling and even salting – no peeling or ripping!

A GripStrip™ measures 2” x 32” and is produced in Canada with recycled plastic.

Each GripStrip™ is pre-punched and slotted, there is no drilling required. Wood naturally swells with moisture and contracts as it dries, the slots are designed to accommodate this expansion. Screws (included) are approved for use in ACQ treated wood.

Simple slips and stumbles cost the region more than $6 million a year in hospital care alone, plus home nursing and therapies. In the year 2000, 604 people were hospitalized for fractured hips for an average of 13.8 days each. Elderly people are most at risk of hurting themselves on stairs and more than 100,000 are treated for injuries every year. Of these, more than half end up in the hospital with serious injuries. Stairs are the place where most deaths and serious injuries happen in the home. It is a tragedy that a simple fall down stairs can take the lives of over 1,000 people every year and seriously injure thousands of others. More falling deaths result from stairs and steps, according to the Consumer Product Safety. [source]

DON’T FALL DOWN YOUR SLIPPERY STAIRS AGAIN! Install Get a Grips Strips Today!

Get a Grip safety stair treads are a narrow two-inch strip of stainless steel mesh about 24 inches long, easy to install about two-inches back from the edge of each stair with stainless steel screws. You get 6 Get A Grip Safety Stair Treads plus enough stainless steel screws to securely fasten each stair tread to any wooden surface.

3. WEATHERSTRIPPING

After mortgage or rent, energy bills are typically the largest monthly cost related to a home. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep that money from going out the window (door, vent, AC, garage, and roof). Weatherstripping from industry leader RCR International / ClimaLoc can help protect all areas of your home from seasonal weather changes, make your home more energy efficient and save money on your energy bills.

Every Climaloc product is simple to install, but we try to make your life even easier by providing different solutions tailored to the needs of renters and homeowners. Choose from items such as Foam Tape, Pile Strips, Door Snakes and Vinyl/Rubber Door Sweeps.

Find the right product solution for you by clicking the image below

4. PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT

Did you know that you can save up to 33% on your Home Energy Bills by simply installing Programmable Thermostats to control your home’s baseboard, convector or fan forced heating system? Modern Thermostats are easy to install and the ‘5-2’ models include the ability to set one program for weekdays (5) and one for weekends (2), meaning you can fine tune your heating to suit your schedule.

The more expensive models can even control your heat-pump and cooling system and some also offer Touchscreen functionality, Wi-fi connectivity and Voice control – but these features aren’t necessary (or helpful) if saving money is your #1 goal. Keep in mind that the more features – the more difficult the installation and whereas most models offer D-I-Y installation most homeowners, high-end models require installation from a qualified electrician which drives up the project price further.

5. FURNACE FILTERS

Furnace Filters are a simple way to increase safety and energy efficiency in your home. Change your Furnace Filter every 3-4 months to ensure the air quality of your home is safe for all the family – and to help your Furnace maintain optimum performance. We carry a wide variety of Furnace Filters from brands like 3M Filtrete.  We offer a a large assortment of sizes and types from Basic, to Allergen and Odour reduction.

BONUS PRODUCT ADVICE – WATER DIVERTERS

A common problem that can cause very serious structural issues and therefore very expensive fixes – is when water gets into the foundation of a building. When a home is built properly and in accordance with building codes and regulations, careful measures are taken to ensure that water is dispersed away from the foundation. You can give your home a helping hand by installing CLIP-UP or FLEX-A-SPOUT’s on your guttering down-pipes which will help move water away from your foundation.

BENEFITS:

• Easy Installation and Maintenance
• Stop the drowning of your flower beds and other foundation plants.
• Prevent water from flowing into your basement.
• Divert the flow of downspout rainwater away from your home’s foundation with one of our rainwater diversion products.

The Flex-a-Spout is an easy and affordable way to divert rain water away from your building. Several colours available.

The Clip-Up Diverter lifts and clips easily allowing you to do yard work. Fits all 2×3 downspouts.

VIDEO – TIPS TO HELP YOU FIND AIR LEAKS