6 Home Improvement Projects to Tackle in November

Getting things done before winter comes

Here we discuss 6 home improvement projects to consider completing this fall before the days are short and winter is underway. Each of these fall projects is a step above home maintenance and will extend the life and comfort of your home while helping your household save money on its energy bill each month.

1) Convert to ductless heating.

Ductless heating can offer a number of advantages over furnaces and heating systems that use ducts to distribute warm air. Ductless heat is highly efficient, quiet, and inconspicuous. It is easy to maintain and repair. And multi-zone ductless heating covers multiple areas of your home without the need for ductwork.

Ducted heating is less efficient because the heated air cools down inside the ducts as it is distributed away from the central heat source to the corners of your home. Ductwork can also be prone to leaks that make heating less efficient while causing the unit to work harder. Ducts can also harbor allergens, mold, and dirt that affect air quality.

2) Have ductwork serviced and sealed and furnaces inspected.

Changing your entire heat system isn’t always an option. If you have a central furnace or central forced-air heat, have your ductwork inspected for leaks and other imperfections. Repairing or replacing faulty ductwork makes the system much more efficient and extends the life of your furnace. A professional inspection of your furnace can offer other recommendations for increasing efficiency.

3) Add exterior lighting and heat.

Fall is the best time to install some additional exterior lights around your property before the days get really short. You may enjoy the outdoors a little bit more over the winter with some aesthetic lighting around a covered area. Think about adding lighting along pathways, in a garden, and around poorly lit entrances. Do you have an outdoor grill or a basketball hoop that might get used on winter evenings if it had better lighting?Outdoor heaters can help your family spend more time outside in the cooler months. Consider an outdoor heater or fireplace on a porch, covered patio, or other outdoor living area.The beginning of November is actually a great time to hang holiday lights outdoors. The task is much easier while the days are still a little bit longer, warmer, and drier. And you’ll be glad you got it out of the way once the busy holiday season rolls around.

4) Increase attic insulation.

An attic must be properly insulated and ventilated in order for heating and cooling to work at maximum efficiency. Increasing your attic insulation is another great investment with an immediate year-round return in both comfort and your wallet. Have your attic’s insulation evaluated to find out how much more insulation you could add.If your home cools down particularly fast when the heat isn’t on, you may want to have your wall insulation inspected too. Homes below the recommended insulation level can have additional foam insulation blown into the exterior walls.

5) Insulate or replace your water heater.

If your water heater is in a cool location, you may wish to purchase a thermal water heater blanket to help increase its efficiency. Consider replacing your water heater with a tankless model, which heats water on demand, requires less energy, takes up less room, and never runs out of hot water.

6) Repair or replace the roof.

A leaky roof will lower your home’s heating efficiency and ruin insulation, wood, and other materials. Have your roof inspected for leaks and other damage each summer or fall. The middle of summer can be too hot for roof work, while the dry part of fall is a good time for making roof repairs. A yearly inspection allows you to make local repairs to your roof as needed so that you can extend the life of your roof and avoid replacing it.