Before the first hard freeze, seal door and window drafts, recaulk cracked exterior joints, clean the gutters and extend downspouts at least 4 feet from the foundation, drain the outdoor faucets, check deck railings, and test your smoke and CO alarms. Minnesota law requires a carbon monoxide alarm within 10 feet of every bedroom.
The fall checklist at a glance
Work through this list on a dry weekend in early fall, while caulk still cures well and the ground isn't frozen. Most of it you can check yourself in an afternoon; the right-hand column is what the fix looks like when something fails.
| Item | How to check it | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Door weatherstripping and sweeps | Close a door on a sheet of paper; if it slides out easily, the seal is loose | Replace worn strips and sweeps; adjust the threshold |
| Window drafts | Feel for moving air at the sash and lock on a windy day | Lock sashes tight, weatherstrip, add storm windows or film |
| Exterior caulk | Look for cracked, shrunken or missing caulk at trim, corners and penetrations | Cut out the old bead and recaulk on a dry day |
| Gutters and downspouts | Clean after the leaves drop; watch a hard rain for overflow | Clear, re-hang sagging runs, extend downspouts 4 ft or more |
| Outdoor faucets | Hoses still attached? Any drips or a split fitting? | Disconnect hoses, shut the inside valve, drain the faucet |
| Deck, steps and railings | Push on every post and rail; walk the stairs and look underneath | Tighten or replace loose rails and soft boards before ice |
| Smoke alarms | Press the test button; check the date on the back | Replace units 10 years old; fresh batteries yearly |
| CO alarms | One within 10 ft of every bedroom? Test it | Replace units five to seven years old |
Weatherstripping, door sweeps and caulk
Start with the doors, because they move every day and wear fastest. Weatherstripping is made for moving joints like doors and operable windows, while caulk is for gaps that don't move, generally up to about a quarter inch wide, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension. Close each exterior door on a sheet of paper at several points along the jamb. If the paper slides out with no drag, the strip is flattened or torn. Daylight under the door means the sweep is worn or the threshold needs raising. Newer prehung doors usually take a replacement strip that presses into a slot in the frame; older doors may need surface-mounted strips and a sweep screwed to the bottom.
Windows come next. On a windy day, run the back of your hand around each sash. On double-hung windows, flipping the sash lock often pulls the two sashes tight enough to stop a draft on its own. Original wood windows in older Duluth and Superior homes can be re-weatherstripped and paired with storm windows, which usually costs far less than replacement; clear shrink film on the inside is a cheap stopgap for a room you rarely use. Windows that are rotted or won't close are a job for door and window repair.
Outside, walk the house and look at every joint where two materials meet: trim against siding, corner boards, and the spots where pipes, vents and wires pass through the wall. Cracked or shrunken caulk lets in the water that freeze-thaw then pries open. Cut the old bead out rather than caulking over it, apply to a clean, dry surface, and check the tube for its minimum application temperature, since fall nights in the Northland drop fast. Gaps wider than caulk can bridge need backer rod or a trim repair.
Gutters, downspouts and outdoor faucets
Clean the gutters after the last leaves come down, not before, and look at where the water goes next. University of Minnesota Extension recommends downspout extensions that discharge at least 4 feet beyond the wall, and soil that slopes away from the foundation at least 1 inch per foot for the first 6 feet. On a Duluth hillside lot, check the uphill side too, where runoff from the slope can meet roof water at the foundation. Our planning range for gutter cleaning is $120–$250, and runs that sag or leak at the seams can be re-hung and sealed in the same visit. Clean gutters don't prevent ice dams by themselves, though; those start with heat escaping into the attic, and a roof that's already leaking needs a licensed roofer.
Outdoor faucets are the classic Northland freeze. Disconnect every hose, even from frost-proof faucets: a frost-proof faucet only works because its long barrel drains after you shut it off, and a hose left attached keeps that water in the barrel, where it freezes inside the wall. If the faucet has a separate shutoff inside the house, close it, then open the outdoor faucet to drain and leave it open. A faucet that drips when it's shut, or leaks around the handle, needs repair or replacement, and replacing it is plumbing work done under the required permits. See our exterior repair page for gutter, caulking and weatherproofing work.
Deck railings, smoke alarms and CO alarms
Snow and ice make a loose railing dangerous, so push hard on every post and handrail before winter. A post that rocks at the base, a baluster that spins, or a stair that flexes underfoot should be fixed now, while the wood is dry and the ground is soft. Look under the deck at the ledger board and stair stringers for rot, and at footings that frost heave has lifted. Our deck repair page covers what we check.
Then test the alarms, since heating season is when furnaces, fireplaces and attached garages run hardest. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal says to put smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level, basement included; to test smoke and CO alarms monthly; to change their batteries at least once a year; and to replace smoke alarms every 10 years and CO alarms every five to seven. Minnesota Statutes section 299F.51 requires every single-family home to have a working CO alarm within 10 feet of each room used for sleeping. In Superior, Wisconsin Statutes section 101.647 requires the owner of a one- or two-family home to install a CO detector in the basement and on every floor level except the attic, garage or storage areas, unless the home has no attached garage, no fireplace and no fuel-burning appliance. Our planning range for a whole-home smoke and CO alarm refresh is $95–$250, with new units dated and tested.
How far should downspouts discharge from a house?
At least 4 feet beyond the foundation wall, according to University of Minnesota Extension, which also recommends one downspout for every 50 feet of eave. The ground around the house should slope away at least 1 inch per foot for 6 feet, so water keeps moving once it lands. Short elbows that dump water right at the corner are a common cause of wet basements and heaved steps.
Where are carbon monoxide alarms required in a Minnesota home?
Within 10 feet of each room used for sleeping. Minnesota Statutes section 299F.51 requires that in every single-family home and every unit of a multifamily building. The State Fire Marshal also allows placing a CO alarm inside the bedroom, and says to test it monthly and replace it every five to seven years. One alarm in a hallway can cover several bedrooms if each door is within 10 feet of it. Superior homes follow Wisconsin's rule instead: a detector in the basement and on each floor level.
How often should smoke alarms be replaced?
Every 10 years, according to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, even if the alarm still beeps when you press the test button. The manufacture date is printed on the back, so take each unit down once to check. Replace batteries at least once a year in alarms that use them, and test every alarm monthly. CO alarms wear out sooner, at five to seven years.
Want the whole list handled in one visit? Call or text (715) 919-7956 or send your list. Every item is priced in a flat written quote before work starts, and our on-site service fee is waived when you approve the work.