Many homeowners put off backyard projects until the very end of the summer season for a variety of reasons. Some projects take a lot of planning, too much time, or it might feel like summer will never end. But before you know it, the air is cooler, and fall is around the corner. Fall and winter both change the soil as well, which can cause trouble when it comes to unfinished projects. Listed below are five backyard projects you should finish in fall.

Install Water Features

You should complete the installation of all your backyard water features before the end of fall. Leaving part of the ground in your yard open will most likely cause the frost line to drop in that area, which consequently makes the completion of either a pool or pond much more challenging once the warmer weather conditions resume.  Your backyard ground might also get saturated as a result of moister conditions, potentially causing structural water damages.

Build a Shed

If you have been preparing the construction of a shed in your yard, it is important to finish this project soon. The moisture levels and the soil in the ground keep shifting throughout the cold weather seasons. Such movements, however slight they may seem, could cause a staggering amount of damage to a permanent foundation lacking the stability provided by the full weight of a shed. 

Install or Refinish a Backyard Patio Space

The weather conditions that come after summer are not conducive for outdoor projects, including patios. The work on a patio in need of refinishing might be affected by the salt carried from roads as well as the cold, bad winter weather. Paints take much longer to dry in fall, particularly when compared to during the warm summer months. As a bonus, installing or refinishing a patio provides additional protection from various causes of damage such as moisture, which usually occur after summer. 

New Fencing

The updating of your backyard fencing is another project to complete. Fencing around a garden provides much more than privacy, especially during the cold winter months. New or improved fencing acts as a better barrier to keep the cold winds from reaching your house when compared to old and worn out fences. Backyard fencing also reduces drafts in the home, which consequently may lower your heating bill. 

Landscaping

You should perform all of your landscaping projects such as the mulching of plants, the addition of perennials, and pruning of branches before fall. The cold weather that comes after summer usually affects most plants negatively, which means any attempt at landscaping after the warm climatic conditions of summer poses a potential threat to the well-being of your backyard plants. Additionally, the new perennials you plant after summer might not be sufficiently established in the soil by the time winter comes, and could become victim to the cold weather. 

If you were planning on doing any of these projects, make sure to get them done as soon as possible! Check out our home maintenance checklist below for more items to cross off the list before the end of the year.