How to do your Home Maintenance?

Published by cravat | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous

In a home, very few things are maintenance free. While it is a bitter pill for most homeowners to swallow, the fact is that preventative maintenance, with all the time and money it consumes, is still far more cost effective than the crisis management approach of waiting until something breaks and then scrambling to have it repaired. Preventative maintenance can avoid repairs, extend the life expectancy of many components and in some cases, reduce energy consumption.

Cracks and Drafts: Houses settle and each year there are always new cracks. They have to be caulked or filled properly to avoid drafts and further expansion. It is always a good idea to do a seasonal inspection of your foundation to identify any cracks or potential problem areas. It can prevent water from getting into the problem area. A filled crevice will prevent unwanted insects (or worse) from gaining access to your house, and can lower your energy bills by sealing out drafts.

Metal and vinyl sidings, brick and shingle sidings should be inspected for mechanical damage and loose or missing components. All walls should be checked for indications of settling. Vines should be monitored to determine whether damage to the wall surface is occurring. Deciduous vines are best checked during winter months, when there are no leaves. Vines should be kept cut back from wood trim (windows, doors, eaves, etc) and from gutters.
Heating and Air conditioning: Be sure to change or clean the air filters on your air conditioning and heating units. A good plan is to change them once every month or two during seasons of use. Have a professional inspect the system yearly for any problems before they happen.

With fuel costs on the rise, it’s a real plus to have a fireplace to help heat your home. They’re also very cozy and conjure up pictures of a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. Make sure your fireplace and chimney is always clean, and you’ll be ready for any sudden storm. Taking care of your fireplace is a great way to avoid the cost of NOT doing home maintenance.

Fireplaces and chimneys are especially important to keep functioning well. The cost of NOT doing home maintenance on your fireplaces can be more than just money; it can be lives. You should thoroughly clean the layers of soot that collect just inside the fireplace itself, as well as inspect the exterior of the chimney for any loose mortar. Excess soot can cause fires, and loose mortar can result in a collapsed chimney and expensive roof and masonry repairs.

Leaks: Check the exterior of your house at least once a year for leaky spigots. A leaky spigot can cause your water bill to rise dramatically, even with a slow drip. You can buy a replacement part at just about any hardware store, and they are fairly easy to install.
All Hot Water Systems should be inspected annually for leakage (particularly at the valves). Radiators should be bled of air annually, and as necessary during the heating season.

Circulating pumps should be lubricated twice during the heating season. Expansion tanks should be drained annually.

Appliances: Clean your dryer vents at least once a year. These dryer fires resulted in personal injuries, deaths and over $84.4 million in property damage. Dryer vent cleaning can prevent dryer fires. A dryer vent clogged with lint reduces airflow escape. This causes heat buildup and then ignition (a dryer fire). Lint is a boy scouts favorite material for starting fires; after all, it is highly flammable. Dryer vent cleanings prevent dryer fires and save lives.

In order to clean the dryer, disconnect the dryer from the power source. If you have a gas dryer, be sure to shut off the gas valve to the dryer prior to cleaning. Pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the dryer vent duct. If you have a corrugated plastic duct, you should completely replace it with a metal duct. Plastic duct has been the cause for many dryer fires. Take a long handled bristle brush, clean under the dryer. You can brush or vacuum to clean the lint build up from the rear of the cabinet housing of the dryer. Be sure to run the bristle brush through the wall ducting to clear and lint that has accumulated there. Reconnect the dryer ducting and move your dryer back into place after re-connecting the power supply and for gas dryers, turn the gas valve on. This will not only help prevent a fire it also reduces drying time saving energy and saving you money.