Fall, month 10 of 12

October

Fire Prevention Week, the winterizing of outdoor water, and gutters after the leaves fall.

Fire Prevention Week: alarms on every level, inside and outside bedroomsElectrical
Winterize the outdoor faucetsPlumbing
Clean the gutters after the leaves come downCarpentry
Insulate the pipes in unheated spacesPlumbing
Air seal and insulate the attic while it is dryCarpentry
Before the first fire or the first furnace runHVAC

Open this month's almanac All twelve months

Fallen maple leaves filling a rain gutter along the roof edge of a house in autumn

The Trades Almanac is a plain-English reference for the systems in your house, and a month-by-month calendar of what to do about them. Every task links to the explanation of why, every explanation lists its sources, and every page says which jobs are yours and which belong to a licensed trade.

The trades

Plumbing

Water in, water out, and the valves, traps and heaters in between.

Open the plumbing section

HVAC

Heating, cooling and the air that moves between them.

Open the HVAC section

Electrical

From the pole to the panel to the outlet, and the devices that keep it safe.

Open the electrical section

Carpentry

Why wood moves, how walls stand up, and why the bedroom door sticks every July.

Open the carpentry section

How it works

One mechanism per page, with an original diagram, the parts named, the ways it fails, and the line between a homeowner's repair and a professional's.

Plumbing
How a pressure-balance shower valve works
Why the shower does not scald when the toilet flushes
HVAC
How a gas furnace cycles
Eight steps between the thermostat clicking and warm air at the register
Electrical
How a GFCI trips
The outlet that counts electrons in and out, and cuts the power when they do not match
Carpentry
How wood moves with the seasons
Why the drawer sticks in August and the floor gaps in January
Plumbing
How a P-trap works
The curve under the sink that keeps the sewer out of the house
Carpentry
How a door hangs, and why it sticks
Hinges, jambs, the strike plate, and the gap that has to stay open all year

All 12 explainers Trade Terms A to Z

The Home Almanac

A maintenance calendar built from what the Department of Energy, the EPA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Fire Administration, university extension services and the standards bodies actually recommend, arranged by month and annotated for five US climate regions, from the Cold North to the Hot-Humid Gulf to the Marine Pacific coast.

Each month has a printable checklist, and each season has a one-page sheet for the refrigerator door.

Open the almanac

Fall
November
Heating season begins. Clocks fall back, fans reverse, and the thermostat routine starts.
Winter
December
Holiday lights, the cold-snap routine and a year-end look at what is aging.

The Monthly Almanac, by email

One email at the start of each month with that month's checklist for your region, and nothing else.

Unsubscribe in any email. We never sell or share the list. Privacy.