Fall and Winter Home Prep: A Pittsburgh Inspector's Guide

Oct 7

5 min read

I'm Nicole Brooks, a Certified Master Inspector with Fine Line Inspections. I spend my days in basements, attics, and crawlspaces across the Pittsburgh metro, and most of the winter damage I see could have been prevented with an afternoon of fall prep.

Here's where I'd spend that afternoon, in the order I'd tackle it.

Start with gutters and downspouts

If I could get every Pittsburgh homeowner to do one thing this fall, it would be this. Water management is the single biggest factor in basement moisture, foundation cracking, and ice problems, and it starts at the roof edge.

Clean gutters after most of the leaves have dropped, usually late October into November. Our tree-lined neighborhoods often need a second pass.
Run a hose through each downspout to make sure it actually drains.
Check that downspouts discharge at least 4 to 6 feet from the foundation, or into a working underground drain line.
Look for gutters pulling away from the fascia or sagging where water pools.

On our hillside lots, water that dumps at the foundation doesn't just soak in. It runs downhill along the wall and finds every crack on the way.

Look up: roof, attic, and ice dams

You don't need to climb a ladder to learn a lot about your roof. From the ground, a pair of binoculars will show missing or lifted shingles, cracked flashing around chimneys and vent pipes, and granules collecting at the bottom of downspouts.

Ice dams form when heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof. That water runs down, refreezes at the colder eaves, and backs up under the shingles. The fix usually isn't on the roof. It's in the attic.

Peek into the attic and check that insulation is even, with no bare spots or areas crushed by storage.
Make sure soffit vents aren't blocked by insulation, so cold air can move under the roof deck.
Seal obvious gaps where warm air leaks up: around attic hatches, plumbing stacks, and recessed lights.
Bathroom and kitchen fans should vent outside, never into the attic. I find this one more often than you'd think.

Get the furnace serviced before you need it

Schedule a heating tune-up in early fall, before the first cold snap when every HVAC company in the region is booked solid. A technician will clean burners, test safety controls, and check the heat exchanger for cracks.

Between visits, you can handle the basics:

Replace the furnace filter now, then check it monthly through winter.
Keep the area around the furnace and water heater clear. Basement storage creeps in over the summer.
Look at the flue pipe. It should slope up toward the chimney or wall vent, with tight joints and no rust holes.
If you have a high-efficiency furnace, make sure the exterior intake and exhaust pipes won't get buried by snow or drifting leaves.

Carbon monoxide alarms are non-negotiable. Any home with a gas furnace, gas water heater, fireplace, or attached garage needs working CO alarms on every level and near sleeping areas. Test them now and replace any that are past their expiration date, which is usually printed on the back.

Keep your pipes from freezing

A burst pipe is one of the most expensive winter surprises, and it's almost always preventable.

Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached traps water in the spigot, even on a frost-free hose bib.
If you have older spigots with an interior shutoff valve, close it and open the outside tap to drain the line.
Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, unheated garages, and along exterior basement walls.
Seal drafts near pipes, like gaps around dryer vents or old basement windows.
Find your main water shutoff and make sure it turns. Tag it so anyone in the house can find it in an emergency.

During a deep freeze, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls and let a faucet drip. If you travel, keep the heat at 55°F or higher.

Check the basement, sump pump, and foundation

Winter thaws and heavy late-season rain test your basement hard. Take a flashlight down there and look before the snow flies.

Test the sump pump by slowly pouring a bucket of water into the pit. It should kick on, empty the pit, and shut off on its own.
Make sure the discharge line outside isn't clogged, crushed, or likely to freeze shut. Consider a battery backup if you've ever had water down there.
Look for new cracks, white mineral deposits (efflorescence), or damp spots on walls and floors.
On older fieldstone and block foundations, note any mortar that's crumbling or missing. Freeze-thaw cycles make those gaps worse every year.

Mark anything you find with painter's tape and a date. If it's grown by spring, it's time to call a professional.

Have the chimney checked before the first fire

If you burn wood, have the chimney inspected and swept by a certified chimney professional before the season starts. Creosote buildup is a fire hazard, and animals love to nest in an uncapped flue over the summer.

A lot of Pittsburgh homes have old masonry chimneys that also vent the furnace or water heater. Those flues need attention even if you never light a fire. From the outside, look for loose or missing bricks, a cracked crown on top, and a missing rain cap.

Inside, make sure the damper opens and closes fully. And keep a metal ash bucket with a lid outside, away from the house, for ashes. They can stay hot for days.

Make steps and walkways safe for ice

This is Pittsburgh. Many of us have a long run of concrete steps between the street and the front door, and every one of them gets slick.

Check that every handrail is solid. Grab it and give it a firm shake. If it moves, fix it now.
Look for cracked, heaving, or crumbling steps. Water gets into those cracks, freezes, and breaks them apart further.
Fill small gaps in walkways and patch spalled concrete before winter.
Make sure exterior lights work, especially on stairs. Winter evenings get dark early.
Stock up on ice melt before the first storm. Calcium magnesium acetate or sand is gentler on newer concrete than rock salt.

And keep the shovel by the door, not buried in the back of the shed.

Your fall prep checklist

Clean gutters and flush downspouts
Extend downspouts away from the foundation
Scan the roof with binoculars
Check attic insulation and vents
Schedule a furnace tune-up
Replace the furnace filter
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Disconnect hoses and drain spigots
Insulate exposed pipes
Locate and tag the main water shutoff
Test the sump pump
Have the chimney inspected
Shake every handrail
Stock ice melt and a shovel
Schedule a winter radon test

Don't forget the hazard you can't see

Once the house is sealed up for winter, it's also the best time to test for radon. Closed windows, a running furnace, and frozen ground all push indoor radon levels toward their peak, so a winter test gives you the most honest result.

If you'd rather have a professional set of eyes on your home before winter, or you'd like to book a radon test, Fine Line Inspections serves the entire Pittsburgh metro.

Call (412) 706-3140 · Email info@finelineinspects.com · Book online at FineLineInspects.com