The Giddy Transition

Yes, Redding is known as “the hottest place ever oh my gosh it’s the surface of the sun why would anyone want to live there it’s so hot all the time only heat inhuman heat what is with those people???” And we defend it. Over and over. And over. We say “but it’s a dry heat” so often that some of us have taken to just saying “dryyyyyy” at odd intervals. The fact that we defend our hot little town doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a good autumn when it starts to edge its way in. In fact, we get downright gleeful. The first day the mercury fails to climb past 90 is the day scarves and pumpkins and galoshes appear. We love fall here in Shasta County, because we have the trees to show it off. When you’re driving West on 44 and it starts to dip down over the river and you can see all the way to Whiskeytown and everything is every color imaginable? Makes every 112 degree day worth it. While you’re plotting your Halloween costume, knitting new scarves, and stocking up on hearty soups, here are things you should do around your home to ensure the best transition from hot to cold.

Fertilize that lawn, but leave the nitrogen on the shelf.
According to Master Gardener Charlotte Glen, “applying nitrogen fertilizers in fall can increase winter damage and encourage disease problems. The nutrient to concentrate on in fall is potassium, which is sometimes called potash. The nutrient potassium is responsible for increasing winter hardiness, and improving disease and drought tolerance in turf grasses and all plants.”

Do a toasty test run.
Not permanently of course, but you should crank your heat, pre-cold snap, to make sure it’s still in proper working order after hibernating for the summer. You don’t want to wait til the first freeze to find out your heater actually died back in June. If you’ve been running your air conditioner all summer, it’s probably time to change your filter since the heater uses the same filter as the A/C. Failing to change the filter often enough can create big, expensive problems. TRUST ME.

Get in the gutter.
Chances are your gutters haven’t seen a drop of H2O for quite a while, but they’re probably seeing their fair share of leaves and other wind-borne debris. Best to climb up there while the weather is still pleasant and free up the flow of downpours-yet-to-come. While you’re up there, check the roof for missing or damaged shingles and have them replaced and check flashing around chimneys and other roof projections, which are often the source of leaks.

Think: Flue Season.
If you have a wood-burning stove, it’s wise to check your chimney and damper. Make sure no feathery or furry friends have taken up residence in your chimney and examine your damper to see if it’s closing properly and not leaking cold air into your home. If it’s been a few years since your chimney has been swept, call a professional. A clean chimney is a happy and SAFE chimney. Also, inspect the fire brick in the fireplace. If you see any open mortar joints have them repaired immediately! A fire can spread into the stud wall behind the masonry fire brick through open mortar joints.

Even hot water heaters like to snuggle.
Insulate your hot water tank with an insulating blanket you can buy at the hardware store. This will keep it from freezing on the extra-chilly nights.

Put your sprinklers to bed.
You probably won’t run your sprinklers much during the winter, but they need to be ‘tucked in’ properly for their hibernation. Winterizing should include turning off the water supply and blowing compressed air through the sprinkler lines to purge them of water and prevent them from freezing and bursting.

Happy fall-ing!

JERRY BAKER

GMAC REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

530-524-8806

JBAKER@REDDINGLISTINGS.COM