I’ve Got Your Back: Eric G’s Fall Home Checklist to Stop Water, Pests & Winter Drama

We walk you through a no-nonsense, fall-before-winter home audit that I’ve been doing on the show for over two decades—no fluff, just the stuff that keeps your house from turning into a soggy money pit. I kick things off with water management because water is the enemy (dramatic, but true). Clean gutters, unclog downspouts, and make sure water gets at least 10 feet away from the foundation; if your gutters dump at the curb, run a hose and watch for pooling, roots, or corrugated plastic joints that rot out. If you’ve got irrigation or underground sprinklers, blow them out before the freeze—use the right pressure, don’t be an overconfident hero and explode your system. Roof checks: treat moss, inspect flashing and pipe jacks, and if climbing terrifies you, hire a soft-wash pro instead of turning your roof into a shingled gravel field with a pressure washer. We also cover the little sealing stuff that adds up to big savings and fewer drafts. I talk caulking strategy (don’t plug weep holes—learn what you’re sealing), weather stripping, painting the bottom edges of lap siding, and replacing failing garage door seals. I recommend stretchy latex caulk so you can paint over it, and pro tips for getting a neat bead that actually stretches instead of cracking. Thermal imagers are cheap and brilliant this year—plug one into your phone, walk your house on a cold day, and you’ll literally see missing insulation, air leaks, and hidden wet spots. Trust me, that tiny gadget will point you to the exact easy wins that save money and headaches.

Takeaways:

I nag about gutters, downspouts and grading: route water at least ten feet away from the foundation, no excuses.We recommend disconnecting hoses, insulating hose bibs, and blowing out irrigation lines before the freeze hits—do it now, trust me.I say treat mossy roofs carefully: use soft wash or powder treatments, and absolutely avoid pressure washers that shred granules.We talk caulking and weatherstripping like it's romance—use paintable, stretchy caulk, but never seal weep holes or you'll trap water.I push thermal imaging scanners as an inexpensive detective tool to find missing insulation, air leaks, and hidden water damage.We insist on HVAC and water‑heater maintenance: change filters, tune furnaces, flush or replace aging tanks—prevent expensive emergency replacements.I get passionate about safety: test smoke and CO alarms, replace ten‑year units, check GFCIs, and stage multiple extinguishers.We advise storm prep and self‑sufficiency—exercise your generator, store fuel, and keep at least two weeks of food and medications on hand.

Links referenced in this episode:

aroundthehouseonline.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

GodsmackSimple PlanLynyrd SkynyrdTeslaTheory of a DeadmanDaughtryJackylSteel PantherSashcoLutron CasetaAmazonFacebookYouTubeTikTokLinkedInTwitter (X)Around the HouseRock the Locks