21 Projects to Tackle before Thanksgiving

1. Exterior Paint

Fall offers plenty of days that are warm enough to work with exterior paint, and a touch-up can help prolong the life of your siding and trim. A fresh coat of paint or sealer on any surface that potentially will be covered with snow, such as wood floors or stairs, also is a wise idea. Sooner is better to contact a local painter, as many paints aren't recommended for application on days when the temperature dips below 45-50 degrees F.

2. Finish the Basement

Whether we receive ice and snow or clouds and rain during winter, chances are your outdoor living space will spend a good portion of the season out of commission. If your time indoors leaves you feeling a little crowded, look to your basement for room to roam. Finishing a basement is a great way to extend your living space and also gives a higher return on investment than many other home projects. Whether you're planning on selling your home come springtime or you just need more space to live, consider finishing your basement.

3. Fix Major Home Appliances

From turkey dinners to Christmas cookies, the holiday season is a busy time for most kitchens. Clothes washers and dryers often pull an extra shift or two during the holidays as well. If your appliances aren't working -- or aren't working as well as they should -- call an appliance-repair professional before the holidays arrive. A trained professional can diagnose and repair a problem in a major appliance for far less than the cost of replacement.

4. Fall Lawn Care

To ensure your lawn's health and beauty come spring, complete several important yard work projects in the fall. Raking leaves and aerating will prevent your lawn and garden beds from suffocating, while fertilizing and winterizing grass, trees, and shrubs will allow your greenery to enter its winter slumber comfortably and properly nourished. Professional lawn-care services make quick work of these projects, freeing up your time for family, friends, and football.

5. Plan for Holiday Lights

Holiday lights begin to appear on homes across America every year almost immediately following (and sometimes even before) Thanksgiving. If you plan to decorate your home yourself, develop a plan and start looking for deals on lights and other outdoor holiday paraphernalia early. If you're planning to hire assistance, make sure you contact a professional for quotes as soon as possible. Either way, allow time to make arrangements and install lights as early as you can to maximize the number of days you'll have to enjoy them.

6. Seal Gaps and Add Insulation

Nothing makes a home more uncomfortable during the winter than a nagging, chilly draft. Consider a home energy audit that includes a review of your home's caulking and weather stripping. An energy auditor also will likely look inside your attic. If the insulation is at or below the level of the joists, you might be able to keep your home warmer by adding more insulation. A depth of 10-14 inches is generally considered optimal, and you can supplement with a variety of types of insulation to achieve that depth.

7. Power Washing

Having your home's exterior and windows power washed won't just make your home look sharp, it also will prevent the growth of mold and mildew that feed on grime. If you're not comfortable deciding whether your home's exterior can handle the pressure exerted by the various pressure-washing nozzles available, hire a professional to do the work.

8. Hire Cleaning Help

If you're like most people, the final months of the year are long on to-do items and short on time. Hiring a cleaning professional will allow you to focus on more important tasks and keep your home looking its best for holiday visitors. Whether you schedule a one-time visit or routine cleanings, the stress and effort you'll save are likely well worth the monetary investment.

9. Fireplace Repair

Proper inspection of a fireplace is vital to ensuring its safe operation -- even if it is rarely used. An experienced chimney sweep will check wood fireplaces for flammable buildup (known as creosote) and chimney blockages such as bird nests. A chimney or fireplace professional also should check for these red flags: improperly functioning dampers, damaged brickwork and masonry, and missing or damaged flue caps (the screen covering the top of the chimney).

10. Tune Up the Furnace

The furnace is literally the heart of most American homes during cold winter months. Without it, comfortable life indoors would come to a grinding halt. Occasional maintenance from a trained professional can keep your furnace running effectively and efficiently, and it will prevent potentially catastrophic damage to your home from burst or frozen pipes.

11. Prepare for Snow Removal

Get bids from snow-removal professionals in your area before that first flake falls. Keeping your walks free of ice and snow is a vital part of wintertime safety, but venturing outside with a snow shovel in the dead of winter is an unpleasant task for most. Snow-removal services are usually equipped with professional gear to make quick work of a homeowner's hand-shovel job.

12. Repair or Replace Siding

When deciduous trees and bushes have shed their leaves and yards and landscaping are covered by snow, shoddy spots on your home's exterior are pulled into the limelight. If your home's siding needs repair or replacement, hire a siding pro to complete the work before the harsh days of winter magnify any exterior blemishes. Some new siding even comes with added insulation, which can help bundle up your home for winter.

13. Replace Windows

Do you feel a chill next to certain windows in your home during winter? Have you noticed condensation or frost on these windows? Glass with multiple panes, spacers, or filler gasses (such as argon or krypton) will likely solve these problems. A professional can swap out your problem windows with more-efficient models that will increase your comfort level while decreasing your heating bills.

14. Install a Home Security System

If you're looking for peace of mind this holiday season, consider enlisting the help of a home security company. A home security system will help protect against intruders, and many systems can monitor for signs of fire. Security companies will often install basic systems free of charge, provided you sign a monitoring contract.

15. Roof Repair

The cold of winter can aggravate even the smallest of roof leaks. Any leaks in a home's roof should be fixed in advance of the first snowfall. Your best bet is to hire an experienced, professional crew that can accurately assess leaks and fix problems quickly and safely.

16. Clean Carpets

Fall is the perfect time to clean your carpets -- the humid days of summer have passed, but the below-freezing days of winter have yet to arrive. It's the best time to open windows for ventilation, which should speed the drying process. And let a professional wrangle the bulky cleaning equipment -- with a house full of wet carpet, you can get outdoors and enjoy the few remaining warm days

17. Clean, Repair, and Protect Gutters

Your home's gutters divert thousands of gallons of water each year. To keep the water flowing smoothly away from your house instead of into it, inspect and clean your roof's drainage system. Better still, protect your gutters with mesh guards to keep leaves and other debris from causing blockages in the first place. Hire a pro to complete this project, or be prepared to spend a damp and dirty day climbing up and down the ladder.

18. Install a Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats save money without sacrificing comfort by using less energy to heat and cool your home while you're away or asleep. More accurate and convenient to use than manual thermostats, programmable thermostats don't contain toxic mercury found in traditional models. Hiring a pro to install a programmable thermostat is generally inexpensive, but this project is within the abilities of most DIYers. There are even thermostats that can be controlled from your smart phone or tablet away from home!

19. Repair Driveways and Walks

Small cracks and gaps in a driveway or walkway can quickly expand during winter's freezing temperatures. Cracked concrete and disintegrating asphalt also can create treacherous conditions for pedestrians. Hire a pro to ensure these cracks are fixed properly and won't return or get worse.

20. Winterize Faucets and Sprinklers

Most exterior plumbing in areas with temperatures below freezing must be winterized to prevent freezing and bursting. If you want professional help, contact a plumber, who can make quick work of winterizing exterior faucets (known as hose bibs). Winterizing more complex plumbing, such as sprinkler systems or water features, is always best left to a professional.

21. Plan Ahead

If you've been dreaming of a new home or a home improvement project such as an addition or major landscaping, fall is an excellent time to reach out to architects or engineers to draft plans. Starting now will allow time to revise the plans without having to rush the contactor bidding process to start work when the ground thaws. Plus, you'll have one more reason to look forward to spring!

15 steps to prepare your home for winter

1. Convert to Gas

Nothing communicates home-loving coziness like a fire in the fireplace. Unfortunately, traditional woodburning fireplaces tend to lose more energy than they produce, pulling heated air out of the house and sending it up the chimney (and burning wood adds to air pollution). If you have natural gas or propane heating, consider having gas logs installed. A direct-vent system is best for new, air-tight homes; it pulls in air from outdoors, pushes it past the firebox, and sends the warmed air into the room. Vent-free systems require no chimney, flue, or outside exhaust. They're relatively inexpensive to operate, warm the room efficiently, and meet national standards for indoor air quality.

2. Call the Chimney Sweep

If gas logs aren't in your budget and you use your woodburning fireplace often during the winter, have it cleaned and inspected before winter. Burning wood releases volatile gases that cool and condense on the inside of the chimney, forming sticky, smelly, highly flammable creosote. Allow enough of it to build up, and you run a risk of a chimney fire. Also make sure the damper is working properly and that the chimney is capped with screening to keep out critters.

3. Put the Ceiling Fan in Reverse

Check your ceiling fan for a switch that allows you to reverse the direction of blade movement to turn clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. Warm air rises, and the clockwise rotation of the blades forces the warm air down to where people benefit from it.

4. Wash the Windows

Yes, it's a tedious job, but washing the windows inside and out twice a year--spring and fall--rewards you with sparkling views, unobstructed light, and the opportunity to check for cracks and damaged caulking. Use a commercial window cleaner or make your own by mixing 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 1 gallon of water. Newspaper makes the best "cleaning rag" because it's absorbent and won't leave lint, but wear gloves to protect your hands from the newsprint.

5. Rearrange the Furniture

Changing the furniture arrangement is an easy way to give your rooms a new look and feel for the winter. Pull seating pieces close to the fireplace to create a cozier mood, and bring out soft chenille or fleece throws to ward off the chill. Set up a new display on the mantel to create a wintertime focal point--dark colors and layers of objects supply rich texture that adds increases the cozy factor. Some homeowners keep two sets of slipcovers, white for summer and a dark, warm color for winter.

6. Make Windows Airtight

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 10 percent of the air that leaks out of a house exits through the windows. Caulk around window frames and apply weatherstripping between the sash and window frame to eliminate air leakage. Tension seal and magnetic types of weatherstripping are durable and effective for double-hung windows. For casement and sliding windows, apply self-adhesive V-strip weatherstripping to the side of a clean, dry sash or window jamb. Measure the length you need, cut the V-strip to fit, then peel off the paper backing while pressing the strip in place.

7. Put Up Storm Windows

Install storm windows to reduce air leakage year-round. You can find storm windows with vinyl, wood, or aluminum frames and glass or plastic panes. Glass is heavier but longer lasting and clearer than plastic, which scratches easily and yellows over time. Interior storm windows are generally mounted inside the window jambs or flush with the molding. They're easy to install but must be removed when you want to open the windows to let in fresh air. An exterior double-track or triple-track storm window is permanently installed on the outside of the window, and the lower half of the window moves in a separate track from the screen so you can lower or raise it to control air flow.

8. Clean the Gutters

Whether your gutters have become roofline planters like this one or have simply accumulated a season's worth of fallen leaves, get them cleaned out before winter rains and snows arrive. After scooping out leaves and debris, flush the gutters and downspouts with a strong stream of water from a hose. Make sure the gutters fit snugly against the house and repair any cracks or damage. Many companies offer leaf guards that claim to prevent leaves from collecting in the gutters, but most don't keep out dirt, debris, and seeds, so you'll still have to flush them out.

9. Check Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Experts recommend replacing the batteries in smoke alarms twice a year, and if your smoke alarm is between 5 and 10 years old, replace it with a new one. There should be at least one smoke alarm on every level of your house and one in or near each bedroom. Safety experts recommend similar placement for carbon monoxide detectors--high on the wall, one on every level of the home, and near bedrooms. Where NOT to put them: within 15 feet of gas appliances, furnace, or fireplace because these give off small amounts of carbon monoxide when they're first turned on and would trigger false alarms.

10. An Easy Fix

Even though only 2 percent of air leakage is through electrical outlets and switchplates, every little bit counts, and insulating outlets is easy and inexpensive. Check a hardware store for outlet gaskets (also called insulation gaskets). To install them, turn off the electricity, remove the faceplate, pop out the perforated gasket, and press it over the outlet. Screw the faceplate back on, and you're ready to power back up. Look for UL-listed gaskets made from fire-retardant foam.

11. Have the Furnace Inspected

Call an HVAC professional to check the fan belt that runs the blower, vacuum out dust and debris, and oil the bearings if necessary. Buy enough filters to see you through the winter months and change them monthly--when filters become clogged with dust, the furnace doesn't operate efficiently and your energy bill goes up. Set the thermostat at 68 to save on energy costs, and consider replacing a manually controlled thermostat with a programmable one. This allows you to set the temperature at a comfortable level when you're in the house and cut it back to a cooler level when you're at work. Used properly, programmable thermostats can save up to $180 a year on heating and cooling costs.

12. Time to Go Tankless?

Conventional storage water heaters use energy to keep the tank full of hot water at all times; a tankless heater provides hot water only when you need it, which requires less energy thus saving you money. Whole-house tankless heaters are probably not cost effective for most homeowners--they cost more upfront than storage water heaters, and installation costs are also much higher and more complicated. Point-of-use heaters, however, are small and installed where you use them--at the kitchen sink or in the bathroom--and because they only need to furnish enough hot water for fixtures in that area, they can be efficient, cost-effective, and green. Gas-fired models deliver hot water at a faster rate than electrical models, which require upgraded wiring if they have to do much more than supply hot water to a bathroom sink.

13. Plug Hidden Leaks

About 30 percent of the cold air that leaks into your home comes through holes where pipes, vents, or electrical conduits run through the walls, ceiling, and floors. Check under sinks in the kitchen and bathroom and in the basement for gaps around pipes, and fill them in with an insulating foam sealant. Small gaps can be effectively sealed with caulk.

14. Protect Pipes from Freezing

To minimize the possibility of water freezing in your plumbing pipes causing them to burst, wrap each pipe in a blanket of foam insulation. Check hardware stores for these foam tubes, which have a slit on one side. Just cut the tube to the length you need, pull the slit open, and push the tube onto the pipe. If the slit doesn't have self-adhesive edges, use duct tape to secure it.

15. Add Insulation

Check the attic to see whether you need to add insulation -- experts recommend a depth of about 12 inches. Ultra Touch from Bonded Logic is an eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free insulation made from the scraps and waste left over from the manufacture of blue jeans. It's treated with a boron-based solution to prevent mold and mildew growth, discourage pests, and retard fire, and it won't irritate your skin during installation. Visit bondedlogic.com to find a retailer near you.

Tips to make Halloween the best it can be!

1. All trick-or-treating should be done between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM

2. Have each child carry or wear something reflective and/or lighted-a flashlight, flashing/reflective attire or flashing/light-up shoes are all good examples.

3. Adults should plan a route in advance and check it during daylight hours for obstacles such as areas under construction, or other obstacles that could potentially trip and injure trick-or-treaters.

4. When picking a trick-or-treat costume, goody bags or container, think "practical" over "cute". Avoid costumes that drag the ground to prevent tripping and be sure a child's mask does not limit their visibility and does not restrict free breathing. Be sure children don't get over-heated and remain hydrated.

5. Trick-or-treaters should walk, not run, and should never cut across lawns or driveways. Obstacles could exist that aren't readily visible in the evening.

6. Only carry flexible props-knives, swords, ninja items, etc. that will not cause injury if a child accidentally falls. No play prop should resemble the real item. Consider leaving play weapons at home. Trick-or-treating should be a fun and positive experience for everyone.

7. Only trick-or-treat at houses that have a standing/porch light on. Residents who do not wish to participate in trick-or-treating should leave their standing lights off as a sign.

8. All candy and treats should be inspected by an adult prior to consuming.