October 2, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 23 Home improvement projects perfect for fall Home improvement projects can add value to a home and do-it-yourselfers know the sweat-equity that goes into such projects can give homeowners a greater sense of pride in their homes. But no two home improvement projects are the same, and homeowners should know that certain projects are best tackled during certain times of the year. Fall is a great season to work on the house, as the weather is often at its most agreeable once the summer heat has gone and before winter weather arrives. The fol- lowing are a handful of fall-friendly home improvement projects for those looking to improve their homes. Roof repair: Whether you are repairing or replacing the roof, fall is a great time of year to dust off the ladder and get some work done. First and foremost, fall is ideal for roof work because you won’t have to be up on the roof with summer heat bearing down on you. This can make the project move along more quickly, which is espe- cially beneficial if you are paying labor- ers to work on the roof. The fewer hours workers are fixing the roof, the less you will be paying in labor costs. In addition, fixing up the roof in the fall ensures those winter rain and snowstorms won’t find their way into the home via leaks. A leaky roof in winter is hard to fix, as the roof surface could be treacherous in the winter, and winter winds can make it dangerous to be up on the roof at all. Addressing leaks in the fall can prevent damage to the home’s interior, which can mount up if a leaky roof is not addressed until the following spring. Window work: When the weather out- side gets frightful, poorly insulated win- dows can allow cold air inside the home. That often has a trickle-down effect on finances, forcing you to turn up the ther- mostat in an attempt to offset the cold air pouring into the home. Whether you need your windows replaced or simply need to patch up any leaks, a proactive approach to leaky or older windows in the fall can save you from unnecessarily high heating bills come the winter. Addressing leaky windows also makes a home more com- fortable for its inhabitants. Fall is the ideal time to address a home’s windows because the temperature outside tends to be pleasant. This means you likely won’t have to make much of an effort to offset the elements, and open win- dows in the fall won’t make your home’s interior very hot or cold like they might if you were to tackle the project during the summer or winter. Fixing the floors: Wood flooring is a hot commodity for many homeown- ers, but not all flooring can be added to a home at any time of year. Certain types of flooring employ adhesives that need temperatures inside the home to be within a certain range, and that range is often within 70 to 80 degree F, which makes fall a great time to install such floors. Colder temperatures can make it difficult for the flooring to dry and bond, which will prove problematic down the road. What’s more, many people entertain friends and family come late fall and into the holiday season, and it can be difficult to do so if you are busy installing new flooring. Painting projects: Painting is another home improvement project that seems tailor-made for fall. A fresh coat of paint or a new color scheme around the house can give a home an entirely new look and feel. But paint can be pungent and the aromas may last if it is applied at a time of year when it can’t dry while the win- dows are wide open. Paint fumes inside a home can make the home uninhabitable, but painting at a time of year like the fall, when you can keep the windows open during and after the project, can help air out the home. Interior painting isn’t the only painting project homeowners can tackle in the fall. Many exterior paints are temperature sen- sitive and need the temperature outside to be above 40 degrees F. Paint that freezes won’t dry properly, and homeowners might be left with a costly and unsightly mistake on their hands. Fall temperatures tend to be amenable to both interior and exterior painting projects; just be sure to check the weather forecast before making that first brush stroke.