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Like a regular health check-up, a home maintenance schedule is important for every house's upkeep. Continuing to check on your exterior, appliances, heating and cooling, plumbing, security, and electrical systems will help prevent breakdowns, save money, and keep your home looking its best. Catching those littel repairs before they turn into big repairs, can pay off in HUGE savings!
Inspect. Walk around the outside of the house: Are there cracks in the concrete? Is the driveway in good condition? Check the roof for signs of loose or broken shingles. Look up at the chimney for signs of wear. Check the facade and foundation for cracks or signs of water pooling.
The gutters. Your gutters control the flow of rainwater on your house, protecting your roof, siding and foundation. Clogged gutters can cause a roof to leak or water to infiltrate your house. Clean them at least twice a year (or more frequently, depending on how many trees surround your property and hang over your roof). Also, check for damage.
If you clean them yourself, be careful on that ladder, as more than 630,000 Americans needed medical treatment in 2015 for ladder-related injuries, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can also hire a professional gutter cleaner, a service that can cost $75 to $225, depending on the size of your home.
Paint. Exterior paint looks nice and protects your shingles from water damage and rot. Look for signs of peeling or chipping paint. You may need a touch-up or a fresh coat. If you plan to hire a professional, schedule the job in the spring so the work gets done by the end of the summer. Give the house a bath. Spring is a good time to give the house a good scrub, washing all the winter away. Take the storm windows off and wash the windows, inside and out. The house can get grimy, too. Grit stuck to the facade can damage paint and masonry
over time. Wait for a warm, dry day and get to work.
Here’s how to clean your house’s exterior:
Close all windows and doors, and cover the ground and hedges with plastic sheeting.
Avoid the instinct to rent a power washer, as it may not be necessary, and it could damage siding or masonry, depending on your building materials. In most cases, an ordinary garden hose will do.
Attach a siding cleaning kit to the hose and get to work.
Spot-clean heavily soiled areas. Use detergent sparingly, as it can harm your plants.
Patio or deck. You may not use your deck all winter; chances are it has a layer of winter
grime across it. Sweep it clean. Inspect your deck, looking for signs of cracked wood and loose nails. Pull out any leaves or debris from between the boards. Then clean it thoroughly:
Wet the deck down with a garden hose.
Spray it with water and a cleaning solution using a pump sprayer, and wait 10 minutes.
Scrub it with a broom and spray it down with the garden hose again.
Treat a wooden deck with borate for algae to protect against wood rot.
Let the wood dry for a few days and then stain and seal it.
Inside Your Home
HVAC systems. For homes with central heat and air, call your HVAC technician to schedule the system’s biannual checkup and servicing. A technician should check the ductwork for signs of damage, and clean and service the furnace and A/C compressor. Clean the bathroom vents, too. Cleaning ducts and vents costs homeowners an average $348.
Plumbing. Give your pipes a good once-over, checking under sinks to make sure there are no signs of leaks. Look up at your ceilings too for telltale water stains – a sign of a leak in the wall. Check faucets for drips and the flapper in the tank of your toilet to make sure it has not worn out (once the flapper starts to go, expect your toilet to run more frequently.) Fix what you can yourself; call a plumber for what you need help with.
Sump pump. Spring often brings rain. Check your sump pump to make sure it’s draining properly. You do not want to wait until a major snow thaw or rainstorm to find out that the pump’s motor is shot.
Chimney. Even if you do not regularly use the fireplace, the chimney still needs a regular checkup. A chimney carries dangerous gases from your fireplace, wood stove or furnace out of your home, helping to keep the air inside breathable. Your chimney
should be inspected annually, and cleaned periodically depending upon how often you use it.
Are you concerned with the condition of your home and repairs needed? Book a free review of your problem with one of our contractors.