Important Home Maintenance Tasks You Could Be Forgetting
As every homeowner knows, maintaining your property is rarely easy.
There are just so many things that you have to remember, and it’s easy to forget the odd job every now and then. However, if you want your home to be beautiful and comfortable, then you need to make sure that it’s in a tip-top condition, both inside and out. Forgetting even one task could cause havoc to your home, but this doesn’t mean that you should worry. To make your life easier, here are ten home maintenance tasks you could be forgetting.
Inspect Your HVAC
Your air conditioning is going to be a godsend through the warm summer months, and your heating is vital for when it’s a little chilly, so it’s important that your HVAC is working perfectly. To ensure this, you should have a professional inspect it so that you know that there aren’t any problems you haven’t been able to spot, which could result in a breakdown. You’ll also need to change or clean your air filter regularly, especially if you’re using it every single day.
Touch Up The Paint
If your paint is scuffed or looking patchy in places, whether we’re talking inside or out, it’s a great idea to give it a touch up now and then. This is a relatively quick job, which could be done in a single weekend, but will go a long way to boosting the beauty of your home. If you don’t have the paint you used before, and don’t know the exact shade you need, then you could have a professional come out and colour match it, to ensure that your paint job doesn’t look patchy.
Clean The Gutters
Clogged guttering can lead to a number of issues, including leaks, damp, and wood rot. Because of this, it’s vital that you keep your gutters clear of any leaves, dirt, and other debris. You should make sure that you clean your gutters at least twice a year, once before winter, and once before summer. This makes it unlikely that debris will build up enough to cause any real damage. If you live near a lot of trees, you might also want to consider installing a gutter guard.
Pressure Wash The Patio
Throughout autumn and winter, your patio, drive, and walkways tend to get pretty dirty, which makes your entire home look a lot less appealing. You’d be surprised at just how many homeowners, despite walking on them every single day, forget that these things need cleaning every now and then. Before you do, it’s a good idea to inspect these areas for any weeds or cracks. Once you’ve done this, you can go to town with the pressure washer.
Inspect The Attic And Basement
Unless you’ve converted your attic or basement into a bedroom, or regularly need to take things out of there for one reason or another, most people don’t venture into these areas of their home very often. However, this is a huge mistake, as there could easily be a number of problems going on, including leaks, mold, and pests. It’s vital that you regularly inspect them rooms for any indication of such issues so that you can deal with them right away.
Check The Windows
Your windows are vital for ensuring that your home stays cool on hot days and warm on chillier ones, but that doesn’t mean that homeowners remember to check them regularly. It’s important that you do, to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, and make sure that your energy bills stay as low as possible. If you don’t know what to look out for, then hire a glazier. They’ll be able to spot and repair any problems your windows might have.
Wash The Windows
While we’re on the subject of windows, you should add washing them to your to-do list too. Most homeowners only clean their windows once a year, if they remember to at all, but they can get incredibly dirty in this time. Rather than stick a timeframe on it, you should keep an eye on the state of your windows, and clean them when they’re not looking too good. It’s best to do this on a cloudy day so that the water doesn’t dry too fast and leave smears on the glass.
Assess The Roof
After a long, dry summer, the last thing you want is for the first rainfall to completely flood your home. However, this is what could happen unless you remember to check your roof beforehand. Rather than attempt this job yourself, and risk damaging the roof further or getting hurt, it’s better to call in a professional for an inspection. They’ll be insured if something goes wrong and have a lot more experience than you do, so will be able to identify issue easier.
Look For Leaks
Although you shouldn’t get up on the roof to check for leaks, you can still have a look around your attic, and see if you can spot any signs of water. Of course, this won’t work if it hasn’t rained for a while, but if you don’t get around to booking an inspection before the rain hits, this is a great idea. You should also regularly take a look at all of the pipes and toilets in your home, to see if there are any leaks. This means you’ll be able to spot and fix a problem before it gets worse.
Clean Up The Pool
You may not be using your pool very much, if at all, throughout autumn and winter, but it’s still important to take proper care of it. You’ll need to give it a good clean, to prevent any stains, and remove any leaves or other debris, as this will be much harder to do months down the line. Although many people choose to empty their pools throughout winter, you shouldn’t do this, as it puts a strain on the structure, and could result in damage.
There’s no shame in forgetting the odd maintenance task now and then, but if you want to keep your home beautiful and comfortable, then use this list to remind you of a few important jobs.
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This is a contributed article written for WhimMagazine.com