Homeowner How To: Home Maintenance Tips and Tricks

Look for these warning signs around your house to help you dodge avoidable mistakes and reduce the future risk of costly, urgent, and unexpected repairs. Change your air filter at least every three months, which will help your heating and cooling system run more efficiently and will improve airflow. Inspect installed tiles in the home at least once a year, as loose or broken tile or gaps in the grout could be a sign that water is seeping into the floor, walls, or sheetrock which can create damp patches, spread water to other areas of the home, or create more loose tiles. Check your roof out twice a year and look for curled shingles, which usually indicate there is a leak in the roof. If you spot fog in between the two insulated panes of a window, this means the window’s vacuum sealing is broken and is not effectively keeping in the warm air and keeping out the cold air. There are two good reasons to drain your hot water tank each year: Your tanks are constantly working and, consequently, sediment can gather at the bottom of the tank and cause your unit to use more and more energy to heat water; and cleaning out the tank gives you a chance to listen for any unusual hissing or crackling sounds, which are indications that the heater is leaking water. Finally, inspect your house’s paint job to make sure it is not cracking or peeling, which are signs of excessive exposure to moisture. | Read More