The Homeowner's Guide for Taking Care of Your Home
If you are a homeowner, you understand the amount of work that goes into taking care of it. After all, if you do the opposite, your home will not remain in good condition for very long at all. Make homeownership something to be proud of instead of a burden by prioritizing the essential tasks to ensure it is there for you and your family for years to come. Read on to learn what you need to do starting today.
Maintain, Repair, or Replace Your Roof
Your roof is arguably the most important part of your house. It is the structural component responsible for protecting your assets, and most importantly, you and your family, from the elements. Unwanted bugs and small animals cannot enter your home when the roof is structurally sound and in good condition. With that in mind, it makes sense to be mindful of your roof’s performance.
Work with a professional team of roofers at R & R Roofing, for example, to assess the current condition of your roof and move forward to ensure it continues to protect the rest of your home. Always inspect the roof after a major storm, as the seasons change, and at strategic intervals to ensure there aren’t any problems that need to be repaired, replaced, or to determine if a new roof is in order.
Test the Detectors
Equipping your home with detectors and sensors is an essential step for any proactive homeowner to take. They are small but mighty lines of defense against elements that can severely damage your home and even cause a loss of life.
The most important detectors and sensors all homeowners should install include: Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, water sensors, and a radon mitigation system. Always read the instructions for each detector or sensor in full to ensure you understand the best practices for installation, testing, and battery life and replacement.
Watch this video to learn how to empower yourself and work with a professional to reduce radon and monitor it in your home.
Pay Attention to the HVAC System
A home’s HVAC system, which stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, is a workhorse. The HVAC system is integral to keeping the home at an optimal living temperature for comfort and also to prevent frozen pipes from forming.
Experts recommend servicing your entire HVAC at least once per year or in the month before its season of use begins. To illustrate, if you live in an area of the country that experiences cold temperatures and snowfall, have your furnace serviced in or around October of that year, just before you plan on powering the heat on for the season. The same goes for the air conditioning.
As for your ventilation system, it is important to hire a licensed professional to clean this essential system. It is important to be aware of the many carpet cleaners who also provide vent or duct cleaning and understand that some are better than others. Also, inspect your HVAC filters monthly and replace them as needed. This should be approximately every six months or more often if you live in an area with a lot of dust or have pets.
Keep Your Home Clean and Organized
Maintaining a clean home is not only good for your health and hygiene, as well as the house’s overall aesthetic, but it is also good for the home itself. As you spend time cleaning, you have an opportunity to see areas of the house that you would otherwise simply walk by without paying too much attention. When you get down on your hands and knees to clean the baseboards, you might notice that they are pulling away from the wall. Cleaning the windows could alert you to a hole in the screen that will be a problem when the weather turns nice, you open the windows, and a host of pesky bugs make their way inside.
Not only that, but the simple acts of cleaning keep your home in good condition. Removing rocks and pebbles that get tracked inside will help prevent scratched and scuffed floors. Vacuuming the carpets and rugs will help keep them clean, reduce dust and dander (which also helps with air quality and removes allergens), and keep the pile high instead of looking flattened and worn out.
As for organization, when you choose to keep your home in good order, beyond just cleaning efforts, you are making cleaning easier. When you have a place for everything and then actually put everything away once you are done using the items, cleaning becomes less time-consuming since you do not need to spend half your time putting things away before you can even begin to clean!
Conduct an Exterior Walk Around the House
The exterior of your home often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. Sure, you see how beautiful the new roof looks, or notice the way the brickwork perfectly complements the siding or the color of the shutters, but the rest probably is just in the background.
Make it a priority to walk around your entire home at least once every month, if not more often. If you have a dog, make the rounds after your morning or afternoon walk. If you have children, make it a game or take the time to teach them about what you are doing. They may even notice a problem before you do.
Take a flashlight with you to inspect the hard-to-see areas. Look at potential entry points for bugs and small creatures, such as the dryer vent or other utility attachment or installation points. Test the water spigots and in-ground sprinklers, if you have them. Look up at the area under the eaves for wasp nests, especially during the hottest months of the summer.
Taking care of your home is essential to protect your investment. A home is a significant expenditure and likely the most expensive thing you will ever own. Make it last for decades by focusing on preventive maintenance and routine tasks, such as cleaning. You will be so glad you took the time.