Fall is a wonderful season to boost your home’s curb appeal. The weather isn’t as warm so it makes it easier to work outside. While you’re enjoying the autumn weather, here are a few projects I recommend you do to spruce up your home’s exterior this fall.

Plant a tree on your lawn. Trees add value to property. If you have room for a tree on your lawn, fall is a great time to plant a tree. That’s because the tree is in a dormant state. That makes it easier to transfer from the plant or tree nursery to your home without the tree going into much shock. Choose the tree wisely because it’s an investment. You don’t want to pick the wrong tree for your yard only to have to remove it because it’s growing too tall for your liking or it doesn’t fit in with your landscaping.

Paint your house to boost curb appeal. Since the hot summer sun won’t be beating down on you, fall is a good time to paint your home. Repaint your shutters to freshen up the paint, or choose a different color completely for your shutters. It’ll feel as though you have a brand new house!

Use fall-themed yard décor. You can get whimsical with the yard décor during the fall season. Place pumpkins on your porch or put a mini scarecrow amid your fall garden. These types of yard decor can make a nice touch for adding curb appeal to your lawn.

Choose fall plants for added curb appeal. You don’t have to work in your garden this fall if you don’t want to. You may want a break from gardening. It would be a nice touch though to have a couple flower pots on your porch. Plant some fall flower favorites. Some great flowers to plant in the fall are chrysanthemums and autumn joy sedum.

Clean the gutters. During the fall, trees lose their leaves. And sometimes these leaves land in your gutters. If you have trees on your property or nearby, make sure the gutters stay clear of leaves and debris. Clean the gutters before it gets cold and the snow starts to fall. You don’t want gutters clogged with leaves and melting snow. Clean gutters also boost your home’s appearance. Ever what looks like mini trees growing out of the gutters? Not a good look.

There are some options to reduce how often you have to clean your gutters and downspouts. One option is to purchase gutter guards for your home. There are a variety of gutter guard systems to choose from. Do gutter guards work? Yes. They do as long as you correctly install the right system for your home.

Before we discuss the various gutter guards available, let’s take a look at some facts about gutter guard systems and how they work.

courtesy of guttersupply

There are six basic types of gutter guards. There types are the bottle brush, foam type, mesh, non-gutter cover, nylon and reverse curb.

The bristles of the bottle brush guards face upward catching the debris while the water flows below. The foam filter type is made of plastic and fits over the gutter.

The small holes of the mesh guards stop debris from entering, but allow water to flow. Non-gutter is just as it sounds. It’s a thin sheet that allows water to fall off of the roof.

Nylon guards can attach to the gutters without attaching to the shingles. Reverse curve gutter guards have a tiny slit that encourages water to enter, but deflects items such as leaves from entering.

Gutter guards don’t prevent all debris from entering. Nothing is perfect and your gutter guards won’t be perfect either. You’ll still have to occasionally check your gutters, but with a gutter guard system you won’t have to do it as often. That means less trips up the ladder. If you make the monetary investment, keep that in mind.

Install yourself or hire a professional. Depending on the intricacy of your gutter guard system, you’ll feel either comfortable hiring a professional or up to the challenge of installing them yourself. The key is to make sure that the guards are installed properly no matter who installs them.

Now that we’ve discussed the three basic facts about gutter guard systems, you can decide what’s best for your home’s needs. We’ll soon discuss the different brands and weigh the pros and cons of each.