A lot of new home owners and even long time home owners can save themselves a lot of money by completing required home maintenance on a scheduled interval. Most of these things can be completed by a home owner without the need of a technician. Other items will need a visit from a professional to complete the maintenance.
By completing these small check list items you can save yourself a lot of money both by doing the work yourself and by keeping your home in top shape.
Furnace and HVAC System Maintenance
Some people don’t realize that the filter in your furnace needs to be replaced on a scheduled time. If your use of the furnace or AC system is higher than normal then you will need to replace the filter more often. For instance in the spring when you are not using your Furnace or Air Conditioning as much then the buildup of dust will be less. In the winter months and hottest times of summer your furnace blower motor might be working overtime so you should schedule an extra change during those months.
Normally the schedule is 3 months for the average paper filter but some cheaper ones will only last a month. You should get a few filters and keep them near the furnace so they are easy to find and then place a post it or piece of paper on the furnace that lists the last time you changed the filter. Even if you try to keep up with it there is a likelihood that you will forget for a while and go past your schedule.
Filters with higher filtration ability will need to be changed more often than the regular standard filters.
In addition to changing the filter you should also do a yearly inspection of your system.
If you have an oil furnace then you will need to schedule a cleaning appointment with your service provider. Often your oil supplier will offer this service. Heaters that also provide hot water will run around the year but the best bet is to schedule your cleaning during off peak heating months so you are not also conflicting with other homes that have emergency calls.
Gas Furnaces normally do not need servicing on a yearly basis but if you have an AC system that is part of your HVAC System then you may want to have a service call to inspect your AC System once every few years. This will ensure that you don’t have any refrigerant leakage and your system is working properly.
Water Heaters Draining And Inspection
Water heaters will build up different types of deposits in the tank based on the quality of your water. If you are on a well system then you should have your well water tested and you might be told to add a filter to reduce the amount of sediment and deposits however every year you should drain your water heater to remove the buildup that you can get out.
Sediment and buildup can get so high that it will reduce the capacity of your tank and may come in contact with your lower heating element. This will reduce heat output from your water heater and you will find that your water heater isn’t putting out like it use to. Unfortunately draining your tank won’t save it from all problems including sediment but it can help.
Seal Coating Your Driveway
Seal coating on asphalt driveways normally lasts 2-5 years. The products might have a longer life on the label but in reality with harsh summers and winters that surface will start to degrade. An easy way to know if your asphalt driveway needs resealing is if you start to see the stone showing through the surface of the sealer.
Sealer costs about $25 a 5 gallon bucket and will cover 300 square feet of surface. This is a job that a home owner can complete in a few hours on the weekend. You should wait a good 4 to 8 hrs before you drive on the surface so its best to do the work as early as you can and then by late evening you can normally drive on it. But follow manufacturer’s directions because each product’s drying time is different.
Staining Your Deck
Unfortunately many people never take the time to restain their wood deck and this will lead to early failure of an item that cost a lot to install. If you installed composite material decking and railing then you can forget about this but for the rest of us this is a job that needs to be done every 2 to 5 years. In other how tos we will go over the steps on how to stain your deck but remember there are 3 types of stain, Transparent, Semi Transparent and Solid Base Stain. The solid stain looks more like paint when you apply it and the semi and transparent types allow you to see the wood. The more solids in the stain then the longer it will last if it is applied correctly. The costs are normally about the same for all three products so your visual taste will be a factor on how often you are restaining.
Sealing Concrete
Similar to staining your deck the concrete surfaces around your home can be better kept up if you seal them with a transparent sealer. This product is very easy to apply with a garden pump sprayer and then you can use a broom to even out the product. Normally it goes on milky white and drys transparent. You can also use this product on pavers that are used in your garden or driveway. Sealer will stop the dirt and oils from penetrating the concrete. Concrete paints don’t normally do well outside on surfaces that have the opposite side into the dirt because the paint will chip off due to moisture in the concrete. Sealer products do not have this problem but they also don’t provide color. You should apply sealer once every year in the spring or fall.
Caulking Windows And Doors
Once a year you should inspect the interior and exterior of your windows and look for cracking. A good time to do this is in late summer. Cracks around windows are very common because wind blows on the window and especially on vinyl windows the joint will flex and cause the caulk to crack. On the exterior portion of the window this can mean water leaks and on the interior it can mean air infiltration during heating or air conditioning seasons. On the exterior part of your window you should use either a 100% silicon or a latex caulk that is window and door rated for exteriors. On the inside of the window you should use a paintable latex caulk rated for windows and doors which you can touchup with paint after it cures.
Inspecting Your Roof
Normally you should inspect your roof after any reasonably sized storm or wind event. Additionally you should inspect your roof in the spring and fall to look for any problems that you can catch. Immediate problems might mean that you need to replace a shingle but pending or up coming problems will be looking for general damage, lifted shingles that aren’t fully attached, curling shingles or deterioration. Use binoculars to look at the roof peak all the way down to the bottom row of shingles and take a good look at them. There is no reason to get up on the roof unless you see problems. Also look at any flashing around chimneys and also water vent pipes. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the work yourself get a professional to make the repairs if needed.
Trimming Bushes And Trees
Normally this is a situation that presents its self but two to three times a year is pretty normal where you should trim your bushes back so they don’t get overgrown and where you inspect your trees and trim any branches that might be rubbing on each other or getting in your way. Expect to do this in the early spring and late fall but not in the hottest part of the summer or when the bush or tree is flowering.
Spraying Or Applying Granular Pesticide
This is not something that you want to leave until you see a problem. Your yard is full of ants, grubs and pests of many types. Every Spring is a good time to put down a granular pesticide with your lawn fertilizer and weed preventer. You can just add this to your weed and feed and apply it with a push type broadcaster. For around your home it is also not a bad idea to get some concentrated ant and pest liquid that you can put in a pump up sprayer. Never use this product in your vegetable garden but you can apply it under your deck and a perimeter around your home of about 2-3 feet. You should also apply liquid pesticide to any ant hills that you might see along the street or curb or throughout your yard.
Most of these chemical pesticides both liquid and granular have a 3 month life and you will need to apply the product again to restore its protection qualities.
You should always wear a good mask that is rated for pesticide application. They can be purchased as a dust mask type or as a respirator with cartridge type. The cartridge type is better but not always necessary for everyone. Remember to wash up and shower after applying these chemicals.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions whenever using pesticides or herbicides.
Cleaning The Exterior Of Your Home
A lot of people don’t even consider cleaning the exterior of their home but because of pollution, mold and other problems you should really clean your home at least once a year. The process will also get you out and around your home to find any other problems that might be happening.
Many people will use a pressure washer with a soap attachment that can also include a mold killer. This is a possibility but its really not necessary and it can easily damage paint if you are too aggressive. An easier method is to purchase a 2 gallon pump sprayer and use the following solution. Half Gallon of Bleach with 1 cup of laundry detergent soap. It can be the really cheap stuff you get at the dollar store and don’t buy $4 gallons of expensive bleach because you are killing mold you aren’t whitening your sheets.
Spray the entire house with the bleach and soap solution and you can also apply it to your walkways and shed and deck. Make one pass around the entire house and then make a second pass to keep the entire home wet with bleach for at least 30 minutes. Any green mold will turn orange or brown as it dies from the bleach. If its green then keep it wet longer.
You should then rinse the house with a regular hose. I like to do this before a storm comes so that rain will help with the rinsing.
You should do this at least once a year in the spring is better so that your home will be clean for the summer months when you are outside but you may also need to do this in the fall if you see a lot of dirt and mold buildup.
Final Note
This is only the top ten things that you need to do around your home. There are many other things that you might find as important or more important in your opinion but this list is designed so that you are keeping up on the possible problems you might encounter. Even just washing your house forces you to walk around it and inspect many things that you may have missed or ignored.