Save and Conquer

Owning a home carries many rewards, but also a few headaches. Keeping your home well maintained is actually frugal and helps keep the headaches to a minimum. As part of Spring cleaning, it is a good idea to perform a home maintenance check. There are many web sites that have home maintenance checklists.

bobvila.com has a checklist with 15 good tips. The site says to perform the home maintenance checklist twice a year, but some of the tips, like, “Check for leaky faucets in kitchen and bathroom(s), replace washers as necessary,” should be performed whenever a leak occurs.

The 15 things to check are

1. Roof: Check roof and around vents, skylights and chimneys for leaks. Repair as necessary.
2. Attic: If there is no ridge vent, keep gable vents open year-round to ensure proper ventilation.
3. Gutters: Clean gutters and drain pipes so leaves won’t clog them and be sure they drain away from the house. (Fall: In cold-climate areas) Drain outside faucets.
4. Fireplace: Clean fireplace of ashes. (Fall) Check chimney for loose or missing mortar. Have chimney professionally cleaned. Make sure damper closes tightly. (Spring) Leave damper open for improved ventilation if the home is not air-conditioned.
5. Filters: Remember to clean or replace filters once a month, or as needed. Check and clean dryer vent, air conditioner, stove hood and room fans. Keep heating and cooling vents clean and free from furniture and draperies.
6. Safety equipment: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriate devices as needed, or at least twice each year.
7. Air conditioner: (Fall: In cold-climate areas) Remove window air-conditioners, or put weatherproof covers on them.
8. Refrigerator: Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, the latch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced. In addition, if you have a coil-back refrigerator, vacuum the coils at least twice each year. Your refrigerator will run more efficiently with clean coils. Also, stock up! A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.
9. Faucets: Check for leaky faucets in kitchen and bathroom(s). Replace washers as necessary.
10. Windows & doors: Seal drafty doors and windows. If you added up all of the small cracks where heating and cooling escapes from a home, it would be the same as having a window open. Replace seals as needed.
11. Storm windows & screens: (Fall) Take down screens (if removable type) and replace with storm windows. (Spring) Remove, clean, and store storm windows (if removable). Check and patch all door and window screens. Put screens up (if removable type).
12. Siding & paint: Look for cracks and holes in house siding or paint. Replace caulk if necessary. A carpet knife can work well for cutting away old caulking from house siding. Slice down alongside it from both directions with the hook-like blade, then use the knife to lift out the old caulk bead intact.
13. Basement: Check basement walls and floor for dampness. Be sure to clean dehumidifier regularly, if you have one.
14. Heating system: (Fall) Have heating system serviced. Change filters.
15. Hot water heater: (Fall) Drain hot water heater. Remove sediment from the bottom of the tank.

Here are a few other things that we try to do each Spring.

Outdoors

Plant a garden – Even if you do not have much room, you can plant a small Spring herb or vegetable garden. When I met my wife, she had a well-producing cherry tomato plant growing in a pot on her apartment balcony.

Fertilize – Plants are starting to take off. To get the best growth, use appropriate fertilizer.

Seed – Along with fertilizer, spread new seed on the lawn.

Indoors

Check alarms – If you haven’t already changed the batteries on smoke alarms when we went to daylight savings, change them now. Test that your alarms function. (This was listed in the Bob Vila tips, but it worth repeating.)

Check and remove lint from the clothes dryer exhaust. This was also listed in the Bob Vila tips, but I am repeating it here. Some friends of ours had a house fire due to a clogged dryer exhaust.

Fire prevention is the most important. Mold prevention is next. Any sort of water leak must be repaired as soon as it is discovered.

Check for signs of termite or other pest infestations both inside and out. Termites often swarm in the spring. If you see little termite “pellets” anywhere, you have a problem. Also look for termite tubes extending from the soil, past foundation, and up to wood framing. These tubes are made from mud and termite secretions. If you see any type of termite evidence, call a professional. If you find rodent feces, set traps. If you are brave, knock down paper wasp nests with a long pole. Call a beekeeper if you have bees setting up a hive.

Preventative maintenance is cheaper that putting it off and then having to pay for large repairs. Home repair bills due to lack of maintenance are often very expensive.

Stumble it!