Today’s low-maintenance building products have eliminated a lot of time-consuming and often tedious home upkeep, however no home is completely maintenance-free. Every homeowner should set up a regular schedule of check-ups and clean-ups to protect their investment and to avoid costly repairs over the long term.
Each season your home goes through changes in temperatures, weather conditions, aging, and of course normal wear and tear. In order to keep all the components of your home running smoothly, and to avoid costly repairs later, it’s helpful to conduct regular seasonal maintenance.
- Check sealing/caulking around windows and doors for air and water leaks. The majority of heated air in your home is lost through the windows and doors. Go through your home and open windows to check the seals and caulking around window frames for good condition. Check weather strips on doorframes for contact with doors. Replace any worn or damaged caulking and weather seals.
- Check the grading around your house for settlement. You want to ensure there is a positive slope away from the house so that water will not pool against the foundation wall. Raise the grade if required by peeling back the sod and adding topsoil.
- Drain all exterior water lines at your lawn taps, leave the outside valves open and shut off the exterior water supply by closing the valves inside the house to prevent the pipes freezing during the winter.
- Clear away leaves, dirt and pine needles from eaves troughs and examine them for leaks at corner seams and the downspouts for damage or loose pieces. Make sure there are splash pads beneath the down spouts that direct water away from the house.
- Clean or replace your furnace filter and HRV filter. Clean air filters will keep your family healthier in the fall and winter months. Fall is also a good time to have annual servicing done to your furnace.
- Check your clothes dryer vent for lint build up and vacuum it out if required to prevent the risk of fire.
- Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to confirm they are in good working order.
- Check the garage overhead door tracks and lubricate the bearings.
- Check your floor drains to ensure trap is filled with water. If it is dry, add water to just below floor level.
Keep in mind that the fall season may be short. Should winter come early, it could be too late to prepare your home effectively so think about starting fall maintenance as soon as possible. These helpful tips will give you a jump-start on the season to ultimately ensure the proper maintenance of your Barrie condo, townhome or house this fall season.