Saturday, May 15, 2010

Home Maintenance Projects-Summer

The wear and tear our homes go through on a yearly basis is enormous. Roofs are aging, as are heating and electrical systems. Plumbing problems may have been accumulating without you even suspecting it. Painting jobs have faded and mold may have been accumulating on roofs and on siding, especially in more of the humid areas.

The thing that's crucial is to take some time to list all the areas that need to be maintained and the little cleaning jobs or sprucing up that is needed to make your home a smooth-running place of refuge and relaxation. It's time to take a look around your house--the attic, the kitchen and bath, the ceilings and walls, and the fireplaces.

Maintenance should start with the major systems and the homeowner can do much of this.

•Check the filters and aerators on all faucets to make sure they're not clogged with deposits.

•Clean them out or replace them.

•Check and replace leaky faucets and lose washers.

•Check and/or replace the filters on the furnace and close the flue of the fireplace.

•Replace filters on the window units of air conditioners.

•Vacuum the intake units in the ceilings to clean them and vacuum the fronts of window fans and the blades and motors of ceiling fans to make them run more efficiently. •Check the filter in the vent-a-hood of the stove and replace or clean it, because it can be dangerous if left with accumulated soot and grease.

Just changing filters, faucet fittings and aerators will mean fewer problems with these items down the road.

Now to a really grungy job that nobody likes — thoroughly cleaning the refrigerator. Pull it out and vacuum the back carefully and thoroughly. The heat generated by the motor can really put a strain on this appliance if it's not cleaned thoroughly and it will run less efficiently.

Pull out and clean the drain pan. It will probably make you gag to see how absolutely filthy it has gotten. Once you’ve done this, bite the bullet and clean out the entire inside of the refrigerator completely with baking soda and water. Place the opened box of baking soda at the back and replace all the food.

It's amazing how the life of any appliance can be vastly prolonged with some cleaning and vacuuming. Do the same with all filters for all appliances in the home.

Next, check pipes and wiring. Any leaky pipes should be noted and if you're handy with a wrench and know how, tightening it may do the trick. If not, at least note which pipes are leaky and call a plumber later to see about them. Much of the wiring that can be seen is in the attic or basement. The rest is behind walls or under insulation.

If you see frayed wires take note of the location and label for later attention. While in the attic look carefully at the mortar in the chimney; where it's chalking and caked scrape away and re-mortar. It's not difficult and any good small hardware store clerk should be able to show you what to buy and tips on how to do this.

Look at all the places that pipes enter the attic and the area around the chimneys and flues. See if there is any daylight coming through at all and make a note. While at the hardware store, get some proper caulk to seal these leaks or openings in addition to working on the chimney.

Don't wait and forget about home maintenance projects. It may take a month to get all these things done, but once completed, you’ll know that some crucial issues in your home have been taken care of and your home will be in shape until the winter months creep up.

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