Fall is the perfect season to get as much outdoor home improvement work done as you possibly can. Not that other seasons are synonymous with slacking off, but it’s a tad harder to work optimally when the summer sun is scorching you. Constantly having to get a glass of water or seek some shade in the middle of a job is not an efficient use of time. On the other hand, the only time you can work optimally in winter is when making a snowman! The good thing about fall is that the weather is just right; not too hot nor too cold. That makes working easier, so what outdoor home improvement projects apart from hiring roofers can you get started on while the weather is perfect?

Build a Driveway

Driveways come in all shapes and forms, but nothing comes close to a concrete driveway. A concrete driveway is among the first outdoor home improvement projects you can do for various reasons. For starters, concrete driveways are versatile. You can create different shapes and patterns to give your driveway a unique look. For instance, you can go with traditional shapes and forms like rectangles, squares or even circles.

You can also achieve different patterns and effects using special molds that you stamp on the concrete before it dries out. You can also achieve natural looks like cobblestones using different concrete molds. This, however, requires high expertise to give the desired effects. A reputable driveway paving company should have the said experts.

If you’re not too comfortable working with concrete, consider hiring the services of a concrete contractor. A good concrete contractor will know the best ratio mixes to achieve the perfect concrete driveway. He will also know the right quality of aggregates to achieve the best finish and overall outcome.

Note that concrete driveways, if not properly installed, will develop major cracks as a result of poor strength. Strength in concrete increases when concrete is exposed to water. That said, always ensure you have sufficient water for concrete curing. In fact, water will be crucial for most, if not all outdoor home improvement projects, so it’s best to stock up on it.

Install a Drip Irrigation System

Having mentioned the need to have water in surplus when you are doing most outdoor home improvement projects, an irrigation system cannot go unmentioned. A beautiful outdoor space needs proper landscaping to be aesthetically pleasing. Landscaping is not only for driveways but also for planting vegetable plants and flowers. While this is one of the most popular outdoor improvement projects for most households, it’s often challenged by watering or lack thereof. It’s a daunting task to water your vegetable plants and flowers manually and that’s why most households end up failing in their gardening ventures.

To avoid this pitfall, use a drip irrigation system. This efficient system will ensure that all your plants are watered regularly and sufficiently. What you’ll need to create a great irrigation system is a water tank, plumbing fixtures and lots of flowing water. If installing one by yourself seems daunting, consider engaging the services of reliable local plumbers. You can also go a step further and automate the irrigation system as total automation will give you the ability to control the water flow from the comfort of your phone.

Water Heater Repair

Fall is not only a great time to start outdoor home improvement projects from scratch, it’s also a great time to complete stalled projects. These projects could ideally be renovations or repairs of already existing projects. For instance, water heater repair because hot water is one of those luxuries you can’t afford to miss. If your water heater is faulty and has been giving you issues in the past, consider dealing with the problem once and for all. Water heater repair jobs, however, need a specialist to be done safely and properly, which requires you to do your due diligence and find qualified contractors.

A good water heater repair contractor will not give you a quotation for a job he has not seen and assessed. They’ll first visit the site where their repair services are needed, assess the damage to the water heater, and finally give you a quotation. The quotation will most likely include their electricians labor charges and the cost of buying any fittings that will be required for the repair job. Spare a day when you are not extremely tied up for this task because you not only need to supervise them while they work. You’ll also need to test the water after they’ve fixed the heater to ensure that it is working properly. Moreover, you will need ample time to shop for the fixtures that they’re likely going to recommend.

Garage Makeover

Every garage needs a makeover from time to time. That’s the reason why it makes it to this list of outdoor home improvement projects you should do this fall. Garage makeover projects can be done towards a number of ends, and some of the main ones are detailed below.

First off, you can expand the storage ability of your garage. Instead of having a cluttered garage, having neat and ample storage space for things like oils, spare parts, and many other items. In this case, installing shelves and overhead storage racks are both practical solution. You can sort your items and put them in their designated shelves or racks. To build the storage shelves yourself, you’ll need plywood or any board of your choice, a drill, screws and some basic carpentry lessons that you can find on the internet and YouTube videos.

Next, you can apply a protective sealant or garage coating to the walls, floor, or both. Coating the surfaces of your garage with paint, protective sealant, or both is the simplest way for you to give your garage a major facelift without the need for important skills. It’s one of the few outdoor home improvement projects that requires the most basic skills and tools while having the most instant effect.

Finally, you can give your garage lighting an upgrade, both the fixtures and the lights themselves. The garage does not need to be dark and dinghy just because you do not spend most of your time in it. It should be warm and inviting throughout, and you might be surprised by just how much of a positive difference good lighting fixtures can make. Lighting typically comes in two shades, which are warm white and white. Warm white, as the name suggests, is not very harsh, and this makes it a great option for garages.

Pool Maintenance and Repairs

An outdoor pool, if you have one, should not go unattended during the fall. Though not on the list of the most fun outdoor home improvement projects to tackle, it definitely needs to be taken proper care of. After all, the fun will eventually be had while swimming in it on a hot sunny day. A pool needs regular maintenance to ensure the safety of the people using it, and fall is a great time for that. Look for a local pool maintenance company and engage them for this service.

Pool leak detection is the most crucial part of pool maintenance. If it’s detected, the professionals will pump out the water and seal the pool afresh. The process of waterproofing a leaking swimming pool is one that takes considerable time. That’s because most waterproofing projects use bituminous sheets for the sealing. These sheets have to be heated bit by bit as they are rolled out, and that’s what takes time for this project.

That said, while the swimming pool maintenance crew is working, you can look into other facets of pool maintenance like pool safety. A pool should ideally have a privacy fence around it to prevent pets and children from getting into the pool unsupervised. If you haven’t got one installed, then you need to get one right away.

HVAC Maintenance

While other tasks are going on, it’s a great idea to have your air conditioner inspected. Look for HVAC companies near you online, or better yet, ask for recommendations from your friends. HVAC systems are complex and sensitive, so an incompetent HVAC contractor can leave you in a worse state than you were in prior to engaging them. Moreover, a broken-down AC system will not only make you uncomfortable, but it also has the potential of also aggravate any allergies and other issues that you or your family members may have.

Once you settle on a company with good reviews and they complete their job, let the AC run for a while before you officially release them. There have been instances where air conditioning seems to be working properly while the contractor is around only for it to fail a few hours later. By that time, the contractor may already be miles away, or worse, engaged with another project. Having to spend an entire night with a faulty HVAC system is an ordeal no one should go through.

Drainage Services Inspection

A faulty drainage system will have everyone in your household losing their marbles. This makes it one of the most crucial outdoor home improvement projects to tackle. Sewer line services, however, are not everyone’s cup of tea and may even be considered more of a necessary evil by most.

If you can, hire drainage specialists to do the dirty work for you. The drainage specialists or plumbers will do a thorough inspection of all your plumbing fixtures, ensure they are working properly, and repair or replace whatever isn’t. They’ll then check all the inspection chambers to ensure that the entire drainage system is working properly. The final task is to have them inspect the drainage to see whether it’s being properly channeled to the septic tank or the sewer line.

If you have vegetable plants, flowers, or fruits in your garden, then all the waste should not be channeled to the inspection chamber or sewer line. You should ask the plumbers to channel your kitchen and bathroom water to your garden. This is a great way to reuse the water instead of wasting it. For the water to be effective for this, it will need to pass through a de-greaser to remove the oils from the kitchen water as well as sediments from soapy water.

Helpful Tips

The projects listed above are just a few of the many outdoor home improvement projects that you can do this fall. Different people will have different approaches to how they proceed. If you’ve identified one or more of projects that you’d love to tackle, the best approach may be to first list them in order of priority. Next, decide if it’s a project that you can DIY or whether you need to call the relevant experts to do it.

To DIY

If you can do a project yourself, start by assembling all the necessary tools and equipment needed per project. This will help reduce the chances of a project stalling halfway because of failure to plan ahead. Once everything is in place, get started as soon as possible because procrastination is truly the main enemy of progress.

To Hire Professionals

For outdoor home improvement projects that require special skills, such as a water heater repair job or drainage services, the right step is to look for the best contractors for the job. This can be done by either asking for recommendations from friends and family or looking for professionals online and then checking their reviews and ratings. If the professionals have listed their services online, there are bound to be people who are either very dissatisfied or very happy with their services. Narrow down to a few you’d like to work with and then request for them to send you a price quote as well as a list of all their requirements. Once this is done, agree on the expected deliverables and timelines.

If you can check off a majority of the outdoor home improvement projects listed above, you’ll find it quite fulfilling when the next season sets in. Your home will be comfortable, appealing, and safe from the ravages of the weather. Knowing you actually made the most of the time you had will definitely make that winter snowman a lot more enjoyable to work on!