10-Minute House Repair And Home Maintenance Tips
While we might be moving into spring, it’s important that you keep on top of your home maintenance chores so that you’re prepared when the cold weather strikes. With all of the tasks that you need to keep on top of it can be difficult to know what to do and where to start. Don’t worry though, you can relax—we’ll help. Our top ten house maintenance tips are below.
Prepare your home to save on maintenance. It’s hard to know what to do now to prepare for the changes in the season and safeguard your property.
While we might be moving into spring, it’s important that you keep on top of your home maintenance chores so that you’re prepared when the cold weather strikes.
With all of the tasks that you need to keep on top of it can be difficult to know what to do and where to start. Don’t worry though, you can relax—we’ll help. Our top ten house maintenance tips are below.
Check Your Gutters And Drains First
For winter, stock up on rain gear now. Gutter cleaning isn’t fun, but it can save you money. Maintaining gutters extends their lifespan and reduces roof damage. Clogged gutters can harm roofs by spilling. When ice melts, it can put strain on gutters.
Even with extended downspouts, homeowners often encounter the Problem With Clogged Downspout. This issue can lead to overflowing gutters and potential water damage to the home’s exterior. Regular inspection and maintenance of downspouts are essential to prevent blockages and ensure proper water drainage away from the foundation.
Whether you’re utilizing new tools or old-fashioned ways, here’s how:
- Anchor your ladder to the house. Hold it and stand on level ground to ensure stability.
- Mini shovel the earth. It’s not for your yard. Cover it with a trash bag or tarp.
- Garden hoses clean gutters well so consider pulling out your hose to flush out your guttering.
- Gutter guards rarely pay off. They can make gutter cleaning uncomfortable by obstructing access. After unclogging the drain, check for other issues.
- Check basement water damage and attic mildew. Mold and flooding indicate improper drainage. Especially older properties.
- Attic and basement dampness suggest water seepage into the foundation. Extend your downspout to channel water.
Test Your Sump Pump
A sump pump is the last barrier against floods from rain, clogged drains, and moisture. Check the pump before winter. Water could harm your basement if it doesn’t operate.
Once identified, clean the exit pipe. Remove obstacles. Avoid water near your house’s foundation.
If your pump has two cords, disconnect them. When you connect in the pump cable, it should hum. After testing, reconnect.
Fill a single-cord pump pit with water until the float rises, around 20 liters. Pumps start. Check water ejection and reservoir shutoff while the pump is running. A water detector can prevent basement water damage.
Test Your Sump Pump regularly to ensure it’s functioning optimally and consider investing in a Sump Pump Cover for added protection against debris and contaminants that could affect its performance.
Check Window Sills And Wells
A window well may brighten and ventilate your basement. They also keep window casings clean. However, neglecting them can damage your cellar.
Water seeps into window wells owing to liner breakage. If your foundation liner detaches from the wall, soil pressure might enlarge the gap. This lets saturated groundwater pass through.
Check your window wells before the first winter snowfall. The crisis may peak this season. Inspect the liner to see if any of the parts have come loose, and if so, replace them.
Purge Your Dryer’s Vents
Since it’s turning colder, you’ll probably be using your dryer more regularly. There are around 15,000 dryer-related fires annually; avoiding them is crucial.
To prevent home fires and to conserve energy, lint should be removed from the dryer on a regular basis. Remove the lint from the filter first. Typically, this component can be found toward the dryer’s front.
With a scraper, remove the filter from the machine and clean it. The lint trap can also be cleaned using a vacuum. When the filter has been cleaned, it’s time to replace it.
The lint traps should then be emptied and cleaned. This is located at the back of most dryers. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines if you’ve misplaced them.
Loosen the clamps with a flat-headed screwdriver. The vent can be repositioned so that it no longer blocks the dryer or the wall. To clean the duct, first make sure the vent is standing upright, and then use a dryer duct brush.
To avoid hurting the brush, gently twist it when you remove it. Keep doing this until the vent is clear of lint.
Once you’ve reinstalled the vent, run the dryer for 15 minutes. This will blast air through the vents, clearing any lint from the ducts or the exterior vent that may have been caught.
Inspect Your Electrical System
No one wants their electricity to go out in the heart of winter, when temperatures are low and the days are short.
Before the weather gets frigid, arrange an electrical system checkup. Verify that the main service panel is not sparking, and inspect the breaker wires for evidence of corrosion or discoloration to the insulation.
One can employ a mustimeter to examine the current in the circuits. Heating systems, electrical outlets, and other such items should all be checked. Check the GFCI (ground-fault-circuit-interrupter) at the same time. Simply pushing the test button and measuring the voltage with a mustimeter should expose whether or not electricity is being delivered.
In the event of electrical issues, it is recommended that you get in touch with a certified electrician. You shouldn’t do this on your own to clean your floor. Bleeding the radiators is a critical wintertime technique to ensure optimal performance. They are ultimately helpless and require constant care.
Bleeding radiators is a simple process that can be completed by anyone, even if they have never done it before.
Activate all radiators and turn up the heat to the highest setting. Turn off the heater and give them a few minutes to cool down.
Working from the closest radiator to the boiler, take care of each radiator in turn.
Turn off the radiator’s water supply and crack open the bleed valve. Hold the valve open with a dish beneath it to catch the air. The water will be restricted in the tray, so there’s no need to be worried.
As soon as the air has been released, the valve should be closed and the action repeated for each additional radiator.
The air pressure in the boiler must then be tested to verify it is functioning properly. There’s a green zone on the manometer right here.
Avoid Ice Damming
In cold weather, ice dams can form along the roof’s edge. They hinder the capacity of melting snow to drain away. If the roof leaks, the water can seep down into the attic and ruin your walls, ceilings, and insulation.
Ice dams form when the attic gets too warm, raising the temperature of the roof everywhere but the eaves. The snow melts on the roof’s warmer areas, but refreezes at the eaves, producing a dam. As snow melts on the roof’s warm spots, it rushes down the roof and beneath the shingles, where it finally finds its way inside.
To prevent ice dams from developing, it is necessary to maintain a consistent temperature across the full roof. This can be achieved by improving insulation and airflow. Be sure to caulk any holes or openings in the roof that could let warm air in and cause the underbelly to warm up.
Repair Any Dripping Windows Or Doors
Simply opening and closing your doors and windows will do. When you lock the door, do you detect a space between the seals?
Weather-stripping can be installed on previously installed windows. The following options are accessible to you:
The weather-stripping built of bronze can last for decades, but installing it can be a tough process.
The self-adhesive plastic is simple to apply, but it wears out quickly and must be replaced frequently.
Midway, you have adhesive-backed EPDM rubber, which can last for at least a decade.
After you’ve finished replacing the weather-stripping around your windows, move on to the door. Additionally, the following alternatives are available to you:
An Adhesive-Backed Foam Tape
Felt is economical and quick to install, but it wears out rapidly and must be changed frequently.
Tubing is composed of a durable substance like rubber, vinyl, or silicone. These are more difficult to install and costlier, but they provide a more secure seal.
See that the door frame and exterior trim fit together tightly without any gaps. Use latex caulk to seal any gaps.
If you detect a draught flowing in beneath the door, you may need to repair the gasket at the threshold. Get a new one if the existing one is too worn to use. An external door sweep that can resist the elements can also be installed.
Waterproofing Indoor Pipes
When temperatures drop low enough, external pipes can freeze, inflicting substantial damage. When frozen pipes burst, they can leak hundreds of gallons of water in a single day. Some structural damage may come from this.
Be on the watch for any leakage or other damage in your pipes. Wet faucets and connectors are a symptom of age and damage. These components must be changed promptly if they have been exposed to dampness.
Make sure all of the water has been shut off to the external pipes and that they are absolutely dry. It’s probable that you’ll need to check again in a few days to be sure all the water has gone.
Insulating tape can be purchased and used to cover pipes both inside and outside the house.
Painting the outside of your home’s faucet knobs a bright color may help if you’ve forgotten your plumbing diagrams. This will facilitate their discovery in the dark or snow. In the event of a plumbing emergency during the winter, it also aids in identifying the faucet.
Winter Storms Are Inevitable, So Be Prepared
Blizzards, sleet, and freezing rain are all aspects of winter. The next large storm will not put you in a predicament if you take preventative steps now.
If you have a generator, test it to see if it is producing power. Keep a stock of lantern and flashlight batteries in case of blackout.
A radio that can run off the sun or batteries is another crucial item to have at home. In other words, you won’t lose out on the newest stories and forecasts if your cell phone suddenly stops working.
Have a look at your snow shovels, gloves, and window scrapers to make sure they are in good working order. Keep bulky snow gear near the entryway for easy access.
Finally, a limb that has been battered by a lot of snow is more prone to shatter. People and property could be harmed as a result of this.
DIY Drywall Crack Patching is also an essential part of winter storm preparedness. Cold weather can cause cracks and damage to your walls, and it’s important to address them before they become a bigger problem. Properly patching these cracks will help keep your home warm and secure during the winter months.
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