Most people are too much into buying a new home, but they don’t realize how important repair funds are. Thirty-one percent of Americans don’t bother with regular house repairs and maintenance because they don’t have extra money to do it, while 45% don’t attend to repairs immediately.
Since you’ve worked hard to get your house, you must also provide the maintenance it needs. Here are some things that you need to check every few months in your house.
Exterior Walls
The exterior paint of your house protects your shingles from sun and rain damage and rot. Check for signs of peeling and chipping. To solve and avoid this, touch up the scrapes or paint a fresh coat.
Another way to take care of your home’s exterior is by cleaning it. This task is perfect for spring or summer, removing every trace of the cold winter.
Doors and Windows
While you’re at maintaining the exterior of your house, inspect your doors and windows, too. Look for signs of air leaks to avoid any drafts and hearing loud noises outside. If some damages are noticeable, fix them right away. Also, don’t forget to include your garage door. Check the springs and cables for any signs of damage that might require a quick fix by a garage door repair service.
Seal your doors, or if they’re too old and faulty already, maybe it’s time to replace them. The same goes for windows. If you want, you can always spruce up your exterior design by adding window trim.
Driveway Cracks
Cracks in a driveway are fairly common. These happen because of freezing and thawing, tree roots, and heavy loads. When they get bigger, it can be a serious hazard. So it is better to check on them and fix them to avoid bigger and costly problems.
Gutters
Sagging and clogging gutters can contribute to the exterior damage of your house. For this, maintenance should be done twice a year. For better, do it as the seasons change. Faulty gutters overflowing with debris will make them dysfunctional can lead to bigger water problems. So check your gutters and have them repaired as soon as they need.
Downspout and Plumbing
Even when you don’t notice anything wrong with your sink and showers, there might be something appearing from where you don’t normally see. This is why it is important to check your plumbing every once in a while to prevent water problems and spend more money on repairs.
Look into slow drains before they clog completely. Use a wire hanger or any clog remover tool to prevent the clogs. It is more recommendable for minor problems since a drain cleaner is a little too hard on your pipes.
Take a look around the perimeters of your house and check the downspouts. If there are signs of detachment or faults, water will not work properly, leading to water intrusion.
Water Heater
Since you all household members use it every day, draining your water heater is one of the annual maintenance your home needs. Doing this flushes out many minerals and debris in the system. This way, it will run more efficiently, and its lifespan will prolong.
Exhaust Fans in Your Kitchen and Bathroom
Exhaust fans are essential to home comfort that contributes to the quality of the air you breathe in. These help blow out excess moisture, humidity, unwelcome odors, and chemical fumes. It is vital to check on it at least once a year and repair it immediately if there is any damage. If these fans don’t work the way they should, it can cause mold and mildew.
Signs of Foundation Problems
As dry weather comes up, take the time to check on early signs of foundation problems by starting with the exterior. If you find zig-zag patterned cracks on the walls, there might be something wrong with the foundation.
Other damages like excessive chipping can be a sign, too. Even when the roof appears physically fine but leaking, there might be damaged parts in the foundation that should be repaired as soon as possible. This is also why you have to maintain your roof.
If you notice that some doors and windows in your house are sticking and hard to open, it is a frequent indication that there is a problem as well.
Doing any kind of maintenance in your home is definitely a pain in the neck; there’s no doubt about that. However, if you don’t attend to it, it can cause you bigger problems and more money than what you’re complaining about.
