Schedule your home maintenance tasks throughout the year.
The key to not being overwhelmed by home repairs and maintenance is to schedule the tasks throughout the year. The homeowner should perform some checks and tasks monthly but can address others on a seasonal basis. Establishing a routine for home repair and maintenance ensures that you notice any potentially costly repairs just when they start to occur. Does this Spark an idea?
Monthly
Test your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors, and check the tank pressure in your fire extinguisher. Examine the water lines in your house, inspect and test the shutoff valves and inspect the grouting in your bathrooms for mold and crumbling. Change the furnace filter, if necessary, and remove the mineral deposits in your furnace humidifier. Clean your clothes washer by running it unloaded, using a mixture of hot water, detergent and bleach. Remove lint from the ventilation duct at the back of your clothes drier.
Spring
In the spring, the repairs and maintenance focus on the structure of your home. Spring clean the structure of your house by cleaning all the windows and the doors and ensuring that they open and close correctly. Replace the weatherstripping if drafts are entering your house. Clean the gutters and downspouts, testing for loose connections and leaky joints. Replace missing shingles on the roof, and look for signs of moisture in the attic. Clean the sump pump, and test your thermostat. In your basement and crawl spaces, look for moisture, mold and rot.
Summer
Summer is the time to thoroughly inspect the outside of your home. Examine the outer walls of your home for cracking and crumbling, paying attention to other concrete walls, surfaces and structures, such as the driveway. Repair any damaged siding, or repaint any areas from which the paint is flaking. Use a pressure washer to clean all the outside surfaces. Inside the house, drain your furnace or boiler to remove the accumulated sediment. Clean the filter of your air conditioner monthly throughout the summer and fall.
Fall
Fall is the time to make final repairs to the outside of your house. Replace any weatherstripping that has deteriorated over the summer. Repair any damaged storm windows and doors, and see that your garage door is fully functioning. At the end of fall, put away your garden tools and furniture. Drain your garden hoses, wind them up and store them. Close the indoor shutoff valves to your outdoor water faucets, and open the taps to drain any water remaining in the pipe. Inside your home, clean the heat registers ready for winter.
Winter
This season's focus is to make your home comfortable and safe for the cold winter months. Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors. Check your emergency supplies, and include candles, bottled water, flashlights and batteries, canned food and a first aid kit. Throughout the winter, check your windows and doors for drafts and moisture buildup. Vacuum the condenser coils at the back of your refrigerator, and clean out the strainer of your dishwasher.
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