Preventative Home Maintenance

Preventative Home Maintenance

When it comes to maintaining a home, a lot of the projects you take on and the tasks you need to complete are problems that spring up over time.

While these are inevitable, there are a number of major problems that can be avoided through preventative home maintenance. Some tasks need to be done more often than others, but all are important.

Change A/C Filters - Homelement Furniture Design
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Monthly

  • Clean dryer vent (letting lint accumulate is an extreme fire hazard).
  • Check shower and bathtub caulking (water can seep past the cracks and form mold, mildew and rot in the walls behind them).
  • Check all pipes and faucets for signs of dripping or leaks.
  • Replace A/C filter.
  • Vacuum A/C returns and supply.

Quarterly

  • Clean gutters (debris that accumulates can weigh the gutters down and do damage to both them and the structure of your home)
  • Trim trees and shrubs back away from the home, the A/C unit and roof.
Replace Smoke Detector Batteries - Homelement Furniture Design
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Bi-Annually

  • Check for water intrusion near windows and doors; check for roof leaks.
  • Replace smoke detector batteries; test them.
  • Inspect caulking in the bathrooms for cracking and peeling.

Annually

  • Check the house for any cracking in the brick work or stucco and repair as soon as possible, as this can be signs of foundation issues.
  • Check the caulking around doors and windows for cracks or signs of weathering and replace it.
  • Before the heat of summer begins, have your A/C coils cleaned.
  • Check all trim for signs of rot (this can lead to pest issues if not corrected).
  • Examine window seals and door frames for gaps (as this is where most of the home’s energy is lost).

It may seem overwhelming at times to add home maintenance tasks onto your already long to-do list. What is always more overwhelming is neglecting one of those tasks only for it to turn into a major expense down the road that can no longer be ignored.