Today’s Homeowner Radio Show | October 10, 2020

Wheelbarrow loaded up with mulch for adding to the backyard landscaping — (DepositPhotos)

Preparing your home for cooler temperatures means tackling a list of chores, especially outdoors.

Now’s the time to bring in your patio furniture, install new gutters or repair your old ones, so they’re strong enough for snowfall, and of course, mulching. (Which is important in the spring, but also is beneficial to do in the fall.)

We’ll talk about all these topics, and much more, on this episode of the Today’s Homeowner Radio Show.

[3:00] Danny and Joe talk about how to prepare your home for winter

[15:59] Why lights that dim sometimes take a while to turn on

[28:24] Best New Products: Cellular Shade Motorization Kit from Home Decorators Collection

[30:26] How to make a combination door stop squeaking

[33:54] What you should know about recycled materials in composite decking

[39:43] Suggestions for the best flooring in a home gym

[49:19] Around the Yard: Why you should add fresh mulch in the fall

[50:52] Simple Solution: This excellent grout cleaner uses something you may already have in your home

[55:41] Our thoughts on the latest gutters

[1:00:41] What to do about potholes in the garage

[1:09:51] Door jamming? Here’s what to do about it

[1:22:34] The solution for a running toilet

[1:33:17] Why aluminum patio furniture fades and looks dull and chalky — and how to revive it

[1:36:45] Our tricks for cleaning and reusing paint rollers

[1:43:32] Simple Solution: How to easily protect under-the-sink cabinet floors.

Around the Yard

With fall in full swing, people often wonder what they should be doing in their gardens. Unless you like raking leaves, it can be a slow time. But here’s a chore you may not have considered: mulching.

Adding mulch around new plantings is a great idea in the spring, but adding fresh mulch in the fall makes sense, too. It prevents erosion and suppresses weeds. Mulching in the fall also protects plants from moisture loss and the coming changes in temperature.

In some areas, fall can be a dry season with drastic daily swings in temperature, so mulching helps your garden maintain an even keel. And, of course, perennials or cool-weather annuals will survive the winter better with a warm blanket of mulch.

If you use an organic mulch like pine needles, sawdust or fallen leaves, you’ll also be adding nutrients to the soil. I would recommend avoiding straw because it can contain seeds that will create a problem with weeds in the spring.

Fallen leaves are seed-free, plentiful and cost nothing, but they are low in nitrogen, so you’ll need to add a fertilizer to get the spring growth you want in a few months.

Whatever material you choose, wrap up your gardens in blanket of mulch this fall, and they’ll thank you next spring.