September 2, 2026 · Honorable Home Repairs
September still feels like summer most years, which is exactly why it is the right time to walk the house for winter. Every item on this list is cheap and easy to fix now and expensive to ignore once the temperature drops and stays there. Here is what Dennis checks on his own house every fall before Fort Wayne turns cold.
Clear the Gutters Before the Leaves Really Start
A gutter packed with debris backs water up under the roof edge, and once that water freezes it can work its way under shingles as an ice dam. Clear the gutters now, and while you are up there check that the hangers are still tight and the run has not started sagging or pulling away from the fascia. A gutter that is clean but poorly hung will overflow at the first hard rain regardless.
Shut Off and Drain the Outside Faucets
A hose bib that still has water in the line when the first hard freeze hits can split, and that split usually does not show itself until spring when the water gets turned back on and sprays into the wall it is mounted to. Disconnect and drain every hose, shut off the interior valve if your house has one, and drain the line. If your bibs are not the frost-free type, they need more than that, and it is worth having them looked at before the cold sets in rather than after a pipe bursts.
Check Weatherstripping at Every Door and Window
Worn weatherstripping is easy to miss because nothing looks obviously broken. Close a door or window at night and have someone shine a flashlight around the edge from outside. Any light that gets through is a gap cold air will find all winter. Weatherstripping is one of the cheapest fixes on this whole list and one of the ones homeowners put off longest.
Walk the Roof Line and Attic for Anything Loose
From the ground, look for shingles that are lifted, curling, or missing outright, since a small gap now becomes a leak once ice starts working at it. In the attic, look for daylight where there should not be any and for insulation that has settled or shifted away from the eaves, which lets warm air escape right where ice dams like to form. Call Dennis at (260) 312-5874 and walk through what you found. Every estimate is free and in writing, and catching this list in September is a lot cheaper than catching it in January.