Checklist for a Trouble-Free Home

Preserve the value of your home with this home maintenance checklist.

There is truth to the old adage that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – especially when it comes to taking care of your home. A regular schedule of preventative home maintenance can thwart a host of expensive problems down the road and keep your house in tip-top condition. Preventative maintenance is also far easier than waiting until something breaks and then having to scramble to get it fixed.

Moisture

One of the most important things in preventative home maintenance is to keep moisture away from your house:

• Install rain gutters if you don’t already have them. This will direct water away from the foundation and can help prevent a cracked slab.
• Clear leaves from your rain gutters at least twice a year to avoid water backup that can rot wood gutters and rust those made of sheet metal.
• If gutter drainpipes are clogged, try to flush debris down them with a hose. If that doesn’t work, use a plumber’s snake to free the debris from the gutter drainpipe.
• Adjust your lawn sprinklers to ensure that you don’t water your house along with your grass and garden. Wet wood  can rot and attract dampwood termites.
• Inspect the washers on your hose and outdoor faucet periodically and replace them if needed to prevent dripping water from soaking the foundation of your home.
• Go up in the attic to check for roof leaks every several months to prevent water damage to ceilings and walls from rain.
• Use the bathroom fan or open a window when you take a shower to prevent condensation that encourages mold and mildew growth.

Emergencies

In case of an emergency, all the adults in your household should know where the following controls are located and how to turn them off:

• Heating fuel main shutoff
• Main electrical fuse/breaker box
• Main water shutoff
• Water shutoff valve for toilets, sink faucets, and your washing machine.

  Keep a wrench nearby each of the vital shutoff valves. Every home should also have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and in the garage.

Weekly/Periodic Maintenance

In case of an emergency, all the adults in your household should know where the following controls are located and how to turn them off:

• Heating fuel main shutoff
• Main electrical fuse/breaker box
• Main water shutoff
• Water shutoff valve for toilets, sink faucets, and your washing machine.

  Keep a wrench nearby each of the vital shutoff valves. Every home should also have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and in the garage.

Weekly/Periodic Maintenance

• Clean leaves and debris out of basement window wells.
• Rake debris away from around the foundation of your house and other structures on your property.
• Vacuum your carpet with a powerful upright vacuum cleaner at least once a week.

Monthly

• Clean faucet aerators and shower heads with vinegar to get rid of mineral deposits.
• Clean the drain pan on your frost-free refrigerator.
• Inspect your dishwasher for leaks.
• Clean your kitchen exhaust fan filter and fan blades.
• During the fall and winter months, check your heating system air filter and replace it if needed.
• Maintain drains by pouring boiling water down them. If a drain becomes clogged, pour a cup of baking soda into the drain – flush with three cups of hot water. If that doesn’t work, use one-half cup of baking soda and then pour one-half cup of plain vinegar down the drain.
• Pour water down any unused drains.
• Vacuum heat registers, vents and refrigerator coils.
• Test ground fault circuit (GFI) interrupters in your home.

Spring Maintenance Checklist

• Inspect weather-stripping around windows and doors. If needed, replace it tosave energyand cut down on air conditioning costs.
• Clean dirt and dust from around the air conditioner compressor.
• Change your air conditioner filter
• Inspect screens and repair any holes to keep flying insects out of the house.
• Hose off the exterior of your home.
• Scrub any mildew off of the exterior of the house and treat decks for mildew and fungus.
• Trim any trees or shrubs away from the house.
• Contact a licensed coolant contractor to inspect and service your air conditioner.
• Use silicone spray on patio door and window tracks for smooth operation.
• Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detector

Fall Maintenance Checklist

• Inspect storm window, clean them if needed and seal holes.
• Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected, cleaned and repaired to prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Contact a licensed heating contractor to inspect and service your gas heater or furnace to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Your local utility company will often provide this service for free.
• If you use a hot-water system for heating, drain the expansion tank, check the water pressure, and bleed your radiators.
• Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detector.

Annually

• Seal exterior cracks in stucco.
• Touch up exterior paint.
• Drain water heaterand check pressure valve.
• Re-caulk showers, tubs and sinks to prevent water damage to walls.
• Wax marble counter tops with turtle wax.
• Maintain a contract with a pest control company to prevent or eliminate insect infestations such as termites or carpenter ants.
• Inspect hot water heat system radiators and convectors.
• Septic tanks should be checked and cleaned once a year.
• Check the pressure and expiration date on all of your fire extinguishers.
• Check your clothes dryer vent and hose for lint buildup. Clean if necessary to prevent a fire.
• Contact a roofing professional to check for leaks, loose shingles, or broken tiles.
• Schedule a chimney cleaning (if you don’t use your fireplace very much this can be done every two years.)
• Give your carpeting a professional cleaning.

Home Safety Tips

Home safety is an important part of preventative home maintenance.  You can avoid personal injury by following a few safety tips.

• Avoid overloading extension cords and electrical outlets.
• Turn off appliances when you are not using them.
• Do not store flammable liquids such as paint supplies near heating units.
• Keep flammable objects such as dish towels, curtains, and aprons away from stoves, and don’t wear loose fitting clothing while cooking.
• If a pan catches fire, cover it with a lid and turn off the heat.
• If a fire gets out of control, immediately leave the house and call the fire department using a neighbor’s phone or a cell  phone.
• Develop an escape route out of your house and practice it once a month with your family.

Disaster Preparedness

• Create a family disaster preparedness plan.
• Establish a meeting place outside your home and the neighborhood in case of a community disaster such as flooding, mudslides, earthquakes, or radiological and hazardous materials accidents. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to contact each other if you get separated.
• Establish an out-of-state contact (relative or friend) that you can call after the disaster to pass the word around that you and your family are okay.
• Assemble a disaster survival kit and stock emergency supplies. You will need:
• A three-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day.)
• A three-day supply of ready to eat canned meats, vegetables, and fruit for each person.
• A change of clothing and footwear for each person.
• A first-aid kit that includes prescription medicines.
• One sleeping bag or blanket per person.
• A battery-powered radio and flashlight and extra batteries.
• Special need items such as diapers, formula, baby bottles, denture and contact lenses supplies.
• A credit card, cash, or traveler’s checks.
• Tools and supplies such as paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils; a battery powered radio, flashlight, extrabatteries, non-electric can opener, tube tent, plastic storage containers, compass, matches and  plastic sheeting.
• Sanitation needs will include toilet paper; soap and liquid detergent; personal hygiene items; plastic garbage bags, plastic bucket with a tight lid; and household chlorine bleach.

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/repairing/checklist-for-a-trouble-free-home

Fall Maintenance Checklist

Fall Maintenance Checklist

You’ll be ready for winter’s worst and head off expensive repairs when you complete this checklist of 10 essential fall maintenance tasks.

1. Stow the mower.

If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, you should be. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.
Add stabilizer to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.

Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it.

1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug hole.

2. Pull the starter cord a couple of times to distribute the oil, which keeps pistons lubricated and ensures an easy start come spring.

3. Turn the mower on its side and clean out accumulated grass and gunk from the mower deck.

2. Don’t be a drip.

Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes. Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.

Turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet.

While you’re at it, drain garden hoses and store them in a shed or garage.

3. Put your sprinkler system to sleep.

Time to drain your irrigation system. Even buried irrigation lines can freeze, leading to busted pipes and broken sprinkler heads.

1. Turn off the water to the system at the main valve.

2. Shut off the automatic controller.

3. Open drain valves to remove water from the system.

4. Remove any above-ground sprinkler heads and shake the water out of them, then replace.

If you don’t have drain valves, then hire an irrigation pro to blow out the systems pipes with compressed air. A pro is worth the $75 to $150 charge to make sure the job is done right, and to ensure you don’t have busted pipes and sprinkler head repairs to make in the spring.

4. Seal the deal.

Grab a couple of tubes of color-matched exterior caulk ($5 for a 12-ounce tube) and make a journey around your home’s exterior, sealing up cracks between trim and siding, around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires enter your house. Preventing moisture from getting inside your walls is one of the least expensive — and most important — of your fall maintenance jobs. You’ll also seal air leaks that waste energy.

Pick a nice day when temps are above 50 degrees so caulk flows easily.

5. De-gunk your gutters.

Clogged rain gutters can cause ice dams, which can lead to expensive repairs. After the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk. Make sure gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water; tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets. Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts.

If you find colored grit from asphalt roof shingles in your gutters, beware. That sand-like grit helps protect shingles from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. Look closely for other signs of roof damage (#5, below); it may be time for a roofing replacement.

Your downspouts should extend at least 5 feet away from your house to prevent foundation problems. If they don’t, add downspout extensions; $10 to $20 each.

6. Eyeball your roof.

If you have a steep roof or a multistory house, stay safe and use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground.

Look for warning signs: Shingles that are buckled, cracked, or missing; rust spots on flashing. Any loose, damaged, or missing shingles should be replaced immediately.

Black algae stains are just cosmetic, but masses of moss and lichen could signal roofing that’s decayed underneath. Call in a pro roofer for a $50 to $100 eval.

A plumbing vent stack usually is flashed with a rubber collar — called a boot — that may crack or loosen over time. They’ll wear out before your roof does, so make sure they’re in good shape. A pro roofer will charge $75 to $150 to replace a boot, depending on how steep your roof is.

7. Direct your drainage.

Take a close look at the soil around your foundation and make sure it slopes away from your house at least 6 vertical inches over 10 feet. That way, you’ll keep water from soaking the soils around your foundation, which could lead to cracks and leaks.

Be sure soil doesn’t touch your siding.

8. Get your furnace in tune.

Schedule an appointment with a heating and cooling pro to get your heating system checked and tuned up for the coming heating season. You’ll pay $50 to $100 for a checkup.

An annual maintenance contract ensures you’re at the top of the list for checks and shaves 20% off the cost of a single visit.

Change your furnace filters, too. This is a job you should do every two months anyway, but if you haven’t, now’s the time. If your HVAC includes a built-in humidifier, make sure the contractor replaces that filter.

9. Prune plants.

Late fall is the best time to prune plants and trees — when the summer growth cycle is over. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least 3 feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding, and to prevent damage to your house exterior during high winds.

For advice on pruning specific plants in your region, check with your state extension service.

10. Give your fireplace a once-over.

To make sure your fireplace is safe, grab a flashlight and look up inside your fireplace flue to make sure the damper opens and closes properly. Open the damper and look up into the flue to make sure it’s free of birds’ nests, branches and leaves, or other obstructions. You should see daylight at the top of the chimney.
Check the firebox for cracked or missing bricks and mortar. If you spot any damage, order a professional fireplace and chimney inspection. An inspection costs $79 to $500.
You fireplace flue should be cleaned of creosote buildup every other year. A professional chimney sweep will charge $150 to $250 for the service.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/seasonal-maintenance/fall-checklist/#ixzz3nn5EDutg