The Ultimate Home Maintenance Checklist

Home maintenance can feel like a daunting chore — particularly for a new homeowner who’s never seen a boiler up close, let alone drained one but when your home is your biggest investment, maintaining is a must! It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Owning and caring for a home is a big responsibility, but the right repair tools and maintenance tips allow for easy living. Smoothly navigate your home with our home maintenance checklist.  

It’s time to renew and revitalize your home maintenance checklist. Check out this comprehensive list of tasks this spring and start planning ahead. Set your reminders, keep careful records, and pamper your home the way it deserves!

 Replace Any Damaged Roof Shingles

Damaged shingles can seriously cut into the life of a roof. To keep your house secure, it’s important to regularly evaluate and replace damaged shingles to make sure your home is safe and dry. Learn to properly evaluate, remove, and replace damaged shingles efficiently.

 Repair Or Replace Damaged Exposed Wood

Homeowners face a difficult choice on whether the wood should be replaced or repaired? Wood can rot in places where it can weaken a structure. If the wood is badly damaged and it is possible to replace it with a reasonable amount of work, replacement is the best solution.

 Check The Gutters and Downspouts

Get a head start on prepping your home for the colder seasons. Take a look at these steps of cleaning out your gutters and downspout before fall.

• Gutters and downspouts are installed along a roof’s edge 
  to capture and direct runoff. A clogged or damaged gutter often fails to move water away from the structure efficiently and can lead to puddling, leakage and even structural damage. 
• Clean out and inspect gutters at least twice a year or more frequently if damage is suspected or nearby trees lose enough leaves to potentially clog up the gutter or downspout.
• Always use caution when working on a ladder. Make sure the ladder is firmly planted on even ground and use a spotter.

 Fill Any Low Areas With Compacted Soil

Compacted fills are used beneath foundations where it is necessary to raise the grade of the structure above existing ground or to replace unsatisfactory surface soils.

 Fill Cracked Concrete

They are a natural part of concrete curing and getting hard. There are very good repair options to keep cracks from getting worse, but no good method for making them go away

 Seal Any Deteriorating Brickwork

Any cracks, areas of insufficient mortar, and damage to the brick, should be repaired as quickly as possible. Performing regular checks of your brickwork to identify damaged areas is crucial to prevent deterioration. 

 Check Sprinklers, Faucets, & Hoses

Locate and inspect each of your valve boxes. Are they flooded or dry? They should be dry. If they’re wet, check them carefully for worn parts, loose wiring, or water leaking out between fittings. If you are doing the repairs yourself, estimate and purchase the parts you will need and make the repairs all at once or reach out to your local landscaper or plumber to take care of it.

  Recaulk or Replace Weather Stripping

The best way to check on your weather stripping is to take a lighter or a candle, and hold it roughly an inch from the stripping. Move the light back and forth around the stripping. If you see any wind or airflow, it’s time to replace your weather stripping.

 Patch Holes In Window Screens

Badly ripped window screens should be replaced, but most small tears can be easily repaired. Fill small holes in nylon or fiberglass screens with a few drops of instant adhesive, sealing the damaged area. Mend small tears in metal or fiberglass screens with a dab of clear silicone adhesive.

 Clean And Service The AC Unit

Heating and Air Conditioning equipment, no matter what kind you have, should be inspected, cleaned, and serviced at least once a year. The best scenario is to have the heating system checked in the Fall and the air conditioning checked in the Spring. If you will not do the regular aircon servicing then dirt and dust will get deposited in its filters. This deposition of dust and dirt in the filters affects its working and your air conditioning system will need to invest more effort in its working.

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