What important routine house maintenance tasks am I forgetting?
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Anonymous
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We've owned a (modest) house for about 2 years, and luckily (knock-on-wood) have not had many maintenance/repair needs yet. But I'm scared I'm forgetting something!
We've had the gutters cleared twice and the fireplace cleaned once (we barely use it). What else do we have to do? I'm worried that forgetting something could cause $$$ down the road.... For example, do we have to clean out the dryer vents? How often? TIA! |
Anonymous
| If your dryer vents straight outside, you should clean it at least twice a year. If it vents through the ceiling, like mine, make that once a month. Dryer lint is very flamable. Don't forget to change your central heating/cooling filters three times a year. Have it serviced once a year as well. We didn't do this until something went wrong, and the warranty had expired. Cost us 10K to replace what would have cost 1500$ to fix. Also smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors. You should have a few batter powered ones for backup. Check for birds making nest in your attic or eaves, they can cause a lot of damage. Also, check the drainage around your house. |
Anonymous
You need your furnace/AC serviced annually. If you have a deck that needs to be stained or cleaned annually. |
Anonymous
| You need to change your air filters once every three months. |
Anonymous
| Yearly pest inspection |
Anonymous
| Core aerate your lawn, if you have a lawn, annually. |
Anonymous
| Turn off the outside water for winter and leave the faucets open. |
Anonymous
Hmmm... I don't really get what this means. I don't think I have a separate outside water turn-off, do I? |
Anonymous
You should have a shut-off valve inside for your exterior water spigots...if not, it's the type of thing a plumber can install in an hour, an odd job if they happen to be at your house anyway. Or you can replace with a frost-free one. Second replacing filters regularly (at least every 3 months if using the 1 inch thick ones, and at least every 6 months for the 9 inch). If your HVAC is new, annual service contracts are not worth much - there isn't a whole lot to do to these units. Smoke and CO2 detectors - test and replace batteries. Replace CO2 detectors every 3-5 years. Sump pump? Also an annual check to make sure it's running and the pit is free of debris. Electrical - check GFCI outlets to make sure there test and reset functions are working. Roof check - look from the outside to see if there are any visible problems, check attic to see if there are any signs of dampness. Exterior - Check any penetrations into home (wires, pipes, etc.) to make sure they are sealed properly. The rubber putty breaks down over time. |
Anonymous
| bump. |