There’s an old saying about how an ounce of prevention is the equivalent of a pound of cure. This statement rings true for home maintenance. People often ignore regular maintenance tasks around their residence until a problem arises. The gutters overflow and leave a puddle in their walkway, a chimney fire occurs and the fire department must come out, or a leaky faucet starts spewing water everywhere. Homeowners can avoid all of these situations with regular maintenance.
However, a person must know which steps to carry out to ensure they overlook nothing. When a homeowner maintains a residence, they reduce the need for repairs, preserve the value of the home, and ensure the comfort and safety of those who live there. Erie (https://eriemetalroofs.com/) compiled a home maintenance checklist any person can refer to and make certain they haven’t overlooked a vital task.
Spring
Spring serves as the perfect time to repair any damage that occurred during the winter months. It’s also the ideal time to plan new projects for the coming months. Begin by cleaning the gutters to remove any debris. Use a water hose to make certain the gutters drain. Walk around the home and examine the siding for damage. If possible, do the same with the roof. When climbing on the roof isn’t an option, use a pair of binoculars to examine the flashing, shingles, and vents from a distance.
Clean the window screens and repair or replace any that show damage. Tree branches that hang over the home need to be removed and contact the electric company to remove any branches hanging over power lines. Reverse the direction of ceiling fan blades so the vanes rotate counter-clockwise. Doing so pushes cool air down into the room, helping to keep energy bills down.
Summer
Temperatures climb during the summer months, and people find they can make extensive repairs to the home that wasn’t possible in prior seasons. Repair any damage to the home’s siding or paint any areas that have sustained damage. Set aside time to clean your deck and make repairs. While doing so, wash your wood fence from timberridgefencecompany.com and seal it to protect it from the elements. Continue completing tasks outdoors, such as cleaning debris from window wells. Finally, head indoors to flush the water heater. This removes any sediment that has built up in the tank and interferes with the proper operation of the unit.
Fall
When fall arrives, begin preparing the home for winter. Heavy snowfall could lead to flooding of the home’s basement, so test the sump pump to ensure it continues to function. Remove window screens and store them before replacing them with storm windows. Winterize the home’s central air conditioning or call in a technician to take on this task. Schedule an appointment to have the furnace or heat pump serviced, so it doesn’t break down on a blustery winter night.
If the home has a chimney, have it professionally cleaned. This helps to prevent chimney fires. Although most individuals don’t heat with a fireplace or woodstove, it’s wonderful to have this option when the power goes out and the temperature within the home drops rapidly. At this time, reverse the direction of the ceiling fan vanes. Have them rotating in a clockwise direction. Heat rises, and changing the direction of the ceiling fan vanes helps distribute this warm air throughout the room.
Head outdoors and cover exterior faucets with foam covers. This protects them from the changing weather. Remove any debris that has collected in water features such as garden ponds and walk around the yard. See if there are any areas of concern that need attention and take care of them promptly.
Winter
As the temperatures drop and snow appears on the horizon, many men and women choose to stay inside where it is nice and cozy. They may curl up with a delightful book or pop in a movie they have been wanting to see. While these activities bring a great deal of pleasure to those who choose to engage in them, they should complete certain tasks first. This ensures the quiet time one has been planning isn’t interrupted by a household emergency.
Examine the gutters and the roof for ice dams and remove them if any are present. Use a safely secured ladder for this job to prevent accidents. While outside, examine any exterior faucets to ensure their covers remain in place and they haven’t iced up.
Walk around the yard looking at any electrical service lines. Make certain no branches are hanging over these lines or above the power line leading into the home. If they are overhanging any part of the lines or a branch has fallen on one of these lines, call the power company to have the branch removed. They do so safely while ensuring the lines aren’t damaged.
Finally, examine the ground around the home’s foundation. Make certain it remains at the proper grade to prevent interior flooding. If there is any doubt, have a professional assess the grade to determine whether the grading must be adjusted before winter weather arrives.
Head indoors. Winter provides the perfect time to complete those chores indoors that you have been putting off. Clear out the attic, do a deep clean of the basement, or organize the garage. This ensures that, when warmer weather arrives, your family can be outside enjoying the beautiful weather rather than being trapped indoors carrying out one of these jobs.
Quarterly Maintenance
Complete certain tasks quarterly. This includes testing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the home to ensure they are working properly. Check fire extinguisher gauges to make certain they remain correctly pressurized and make certain the water softener has the appropriate amount of salt. Next, move to the water heater and test the temperature and pressure valve to ensure it expels water. A bucket below the relief tube helps to prevent flooding.
Now serves as the perfect time to check the dryer vent and remove any clogs. GFCI outlets need testing to ensure they aren’t malfunctioning, and the same holds true for the safety reverse function of the garage door. Next, head to the guest bathrooms, flush the toilets and clean sediment rings from the bowls. Turn on the sink taps to see if they are functioning, and finish up by soaking showerheads and sink aerators in vinegar to remove any sediment.
When technicians come to the home for any reason, ask them if they have recommendations regarding routine maintenance tasks. This includes plumbers, electricians, HVAC providers, and more. They work on your residential systems and can provide advice based on what they see during these visits. They serve as a great resource no homeowner should overlook.