Your ultimate end of season to-do list

The warmer months are drawing to a close and no doubt you’ve spent your holidays and weekends at the beach, camping, relaxing and hosting friends at your place. Now that the weather isn’t so hot and the mornings and evenings are a little crisper, it’s the perfect time for painting and maintenance jobs around the house to prepare it for the cold winter months ahead. Check these nine jobs off your end of season to-do list and you’ll be set!

Clean your paintwork

Forget about using potentially damaging household cleaners on your interior walls – Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner is your secret weapon. All you need is the ready-to-use spray bottle and a clean cloth and you’ll be able to remove a summer full of marks and grime from your walls safely and effectively.

Paint your skirting boards

While they may seem like a very small part of the room in the scheme of things, having crisp and clean skirting boards significantly elevates the space and gives it a polished look. Skirtings also take a battering from kids and pets and people coming and going over summer, so give them a clean with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner and a fresh coat of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel. Check out Tradie Gal Tegan Williams’ guide to painting your skirting boards.

Clean your decks

It’s the ideal time to give your deck a spruce up to get rid of any dirt built up from al fresco entertaining, as well as getting a handy head start to all the gunge and green stuff that builds up over winter. If you’re planning to paint or stain your deck, using Resene Timber and Deck Wash will not only clean the deck, but will open up the wood fibres, which will make it easier for your Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain to penetrate into the wood. Apply the Resene Timber and Deck Wash solution generously using a wide brush and allow it to soak into the timber for 10-15 minutes before scrubbing using a hand brush, following the grain of the timber. Rinse with water. If you’re not planning to restain or paint, then apply Resene Deep Clean and leave it to work with the weather to clean your deck for you.

Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner is a godsend when it comes to removing marks on walls. Walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Double Sea Fog and trims in Resene Lustacryl in Resene Alabaster.

Skirting boards painted in Resene Lustacryl in Resene Black White and wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Black White.

Stain your deck

If you’re packing away your outdoor furniture for winter, why not take advantage of the clear surface and restain your deck? Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain is a penetrative stain that will not only protect your deck from the elements but will enhance the natural beauty of timber. Staining a deck is a reasonably quick job that can be done over a weekend, particularly if you use a PAL Deck Master Deck Brush to apply the stain in long strokes, just like you’re mopping the floor. Resene Paint Expert Jay Sharples shows you how to stain your deck in a few simple steps.

Clear your gutters

Blocked gutters can cause chaos for your home, especially in winter as they’re often clogged with fallen leaves from autumn. Overflow can cause water to leak into your foundations and roof, as well as damage the outdoor areas and gardens that surround your home. If you’re clearing the gutter yourself, it is crucial to follow adequate safety precautions – if your home is more than one storey, consider hiring a professional.

Paint your bedroom

If you’ve been planning to paint your bedroom all summer but haven’t got around to it, don’t put it off any longer! Autumn is actually a fantastic time to paint – it’s not too hot (which can cause paint to dry too fast on ceilings), it’s not too cold and damp (which can significantly increase drying time), and it’s pleasant enough to be able to throw the windows and doors open for ventilation.

Giving your deck a spruce up now is the ideal time to get rid of any dirt built up from summer al fresco entertaining, as well as getting a handy head start to all the gunge and green stuff that builds up over winter. Once you’ve cleaned it, you can stain it over a weekend.

Set aside an autumn weekend to build a woodstore. This one is painted in Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene Parsley and stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Kwila.

Build a wood store

Flex your DIY muscles and make life easy for your future self during winter by spending a weekend building a cool firewood stacker. This one is made out of old pallets and is given a pop of colour with vibrant green Resene Parsley, while allowing the natural beauty of the timber cladding to shine through with Resene Waterborne Woodsman penetrating oil stain in Resene Kwila. A very important part of the process is washing the timber thoroughly first, which will help you achieve a professional looking finish.

Clean your filters

If you have a ducted heating/cooling system or heat pumps in your home that you’ve used during summer, it’s very important to thoroughly clean the filters before using them again to heat in winter. The same goes for any heaters that have been sitting in the cupboard building up dust – give them a good clean before firing them up again this winter.

Clean your windows

Summer winds filled with pollen, dirt and salt in coastal areas can make a real mess of your windows. Autumn is a great time to clean them as the days are not too hot – cleaning in direct sunlight can cause streaks from the cleaning solution drying too quickly. If you’re feeling motivated, give your timber window frames a freshen up with a couple of coats of Resene Enamacryl or Resene Lustacryl.