Maintenance musts when owning a home

  Throughout my 20 year career in the construction industry I have seen many disasters that should have been adverted with simple and inexpensive routine maintenance . The object  of this article is to help homeowners understand home maintenance and why its a good thing .

   One of the worst things you can ever neglect on your home is believe it or not is the gutters and downspouts . Routinely we receive calls  where the homeowner says the basement is taking on water and created all sorts of havoc . Not only can water leaks cause damage to the finishes in the basement but the foundation itself . Many homeowners are not aware the fact that gutters have to be cleaned at the very  least on an annual basis , but also should be checked for cracks , leaks , and issues with downspouts . Its imperative that the gutters , downspouts , splash blocks , and any drainage pipe be clear of debris so water can be drained away from the house . Many homeowners are also lead to believe that one of many gutter guards out there  are a replacement for routine maintenance , this is simply not true .

  Decks require lots of TLC as they are usually made of wood and  are exposed to the harshest conditions that mother nature can throw at them . I always recommend to my customers thatsemi annually the deck needs to be power washed and re-stained . UV rays are constantly breaking down the stain and natural oils in the wood which allows water to penetrate and rot the wood . If this all sounds like too much for you , there are whole plethora of new options out that are made of either plastic or composite that far reduce the amount of maintenance a deck needs .

  Heating and air conditioning systems are there for our comfort but to work properly need some attention from time to time .  Furnace filters should be changed once a month . When a filter gets dirty , it makes your system work harder and ultimately makes your bills go up . This condition can also lead to dust and pollen becoming airborne in your home and can become a health hazard .

  These are just some of the things that need to be looked upon with a watchful eye when owning a home . It is always a good idea to create a schedule for routine maintenance that will help keep your home in tip-top shape and help to avoid costly repairs.