HOME CARE – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Your home is a living breathing thing. It needs care, attention, and love. If we take it for granted, it will let us know it needs help.
How? Peeling paint, rotting wood, leaks, overflowing gutters, nail pops on walls and ceilings, windows that stop working, loss of heat and air conditioning due to no maintenance.
Let’s just get to the point. Owning a home costs money. BUT how can we minimize the costs? A little knowledge can go a long, long way to saving on massive repair bills in the long run.
Early spring end of winter important tasks: If not done already, have your gutters cleaned out to prevent clogging and overflow. Take a 360 degree walk around your home.
Look for cracking caulk lines, peeling paint, and soft areas in the wood surfaces. Look for loose or falling siding planks, lose or falling gutters, disconnected downspout joints.
Mold or mildew on your exterior surfaces should be professionally cleaned as soon as possible. If not these will damage your paint over time and cost more in the long run.
As for decks and porches; these surfaces are especially vulnerable to damage due to bad weather. Keeping them clean year-round will help a lot. Just take your garden hose and clean off any heavy debris. It is important for you to address the peeling or cracking caulk, soft wood rot, or loose or missing siding as soon as possible.
You may not need to re-paint your entire home, but these are symptoms of finish surfaces beginning to break down. Do not wait.
Get it done asap! Feel for cold drafts around windows and doors to make sure the weather stripping is still intact. Cold drafts are not good for your home or your heating budget.
On the inside; new or worsening wall cracks or nail pops is another symptom. Have a professional come and look to see WHY it is changing. This is not normal over time.
New homes less than 5 years MAY experience minor cracking or nail pops. But it is a good idea to just make sure there are no underlying issues that are causing them.
As for the heating and air; read and follow the unit’s manufacture directions for filter replacement. An old filter will decrease the unit’s ability drastically.
Keep furniture away from ducts for good airflow. There are many service companies for the hvac that will do annual inspections and automatic filter replacements for you.
Find the dryer vent on the outside of your home and make sure it is free of lint. This is important to prevent dryer fires from buildup. A well maintained home is a happy home!
