Home maintenance is an important and crucial aspect of caring for homes. Homes like cars and your health need to be taken care of for a long and trouble-free living experience. A home is a big responsibility as far as maintenance goes. An uncared for home quickly falls into state of disrepair and to bring it back to its old pristine state takes much more effort and money than if maintained properly.
A regular schedule of monthly and yearly maintenance tasks when performed as a routine gives the home that perfect and well-cared look which also keeps it curb-appeal high. So, if you at any time wish to sell your home, it gets sold quicker and at a higher price.
Gardens
There are lawns to be mown in spring time; leaves need to be raked in autumn, snow needs shoveling in winters to keep the driveways clean. These tasks happen almost on a routine and half the time we don’t even notice that we are doing them as part of house maintenance. Most often than not the weekly and daily home maintenance tasks get carried out as part of our daily life. It is the more cumbersome tasks that are not an immediate necessity that keep getting postponed or neglected.
Plumbing
Take for instance plumbing. We don’t check the pipes every month to locate any leaks or any damp spots on the walls. Until a pipe bursts or a water line starts leaking, we ignore any minor problems we might notice. On the hand a monthly check would give up ample time to fix any problem areas and most emergencies are avoided.
Heating And Cooling
Air conditioners and radiators need to be checked at least a couple of times a year. The air conditioner filters need to be cleaned, the piping and fans need to be checked to see there are no blockages or leaking and the cooling is optimum. Similarly, the heating equipment has to be checked too. Any radiators and water heating equipment needs to be inspected before winter starts so, we don’t freeze to death when peak winter sets in.
Insulation
Insulation saves valuable heat and cold generated in the home. Older homes tend to have less insulation than newly constructed homes and so, tend to lose more energy due to heat exchange with the outside atmosphere. By adding insulation in these areas you can plug the energy losses. If you are the owner of an older home you could get an energy audit done to check areas where insulation can be added.
Newer constructions done in the last decade are so, tend to be fully insulated and there aren’t as many areas to insulate. But, if you are worried about rising energy costs you could do routine checks once a year to ensure that energy is fully conserved and that there are no leaks. Insulation once installed tends to last for a lifetime unless it is damaged by fire, moisture or smoke.
Roofs
If there are any trees nearby your home and the branches are scratching or rubbing against the roof then trim the branches to prevent major damage to the roof. This safety precaution is a must and should not be neglected under any circumstance.
The roofs need to be taken care of before the rains start and any leaks need to be fixed to prevent damage due to water seepage. Moisture retention on the roof is a major headache for homeowners. Before the rains or snow check that the roofing is intact.
If there is any damage or you find any broken shingles replace them immediately. The water can seep through the broken shingles to underlayment and reach your ceiling in a short time. Fixing these broken or cracked tiles should be a top priority.
See that all the drains and water outlets are free from debris and leaves. This ensures that the rain water is not retained on the roof after the rains causing damage to it.
Walls
Check that there are no algae, mold or fungus growing on the walls. The exteriors and interior walls need to be inspected for these problems. If you find any unwanted growth bleach wash after the rains should be helpful. Anyway check if dilute bleach can be used on your walls without damaging it.
Painting
Paint your exteriors at least once in 3 years and your interiors once in 4-5 years. More often if the painting is damaged or if you wish to give your home a fresh look.
Attics
Check your attics to see if any birds, squirrels or any other rodents have made it their home. They usually find gaps and go into the attics to build their homes. They can seriously damage the insulation and wiring installed in there. They can become a serious nuisance unless checked early.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms are source for many leaks and moisture related problems. Damaged tiles need replacement and the bathroom needs waterproofing treatment to prevent seepages. Check that the plumbing inside the bathroom is all in good working order about once a month.
The above are some of the tasks in home maintenance. The home needs to be taken care of properly to not show to the outside world how well it is been taken care of but also to give the people living in the house a nice and pleasant experience.
