Help Your Home Help You

Let’s start with the word of the day - maintenance. It’s one of those ideas that sounds great but can often be evasive. Tires that are 2,500 miles past rotating. And slightly misaligned. Or the ride-on mower that is three seasons past an oil change. Complete with a dull blade and underinflated tires. What about that guitar you’ve been meaning to restring since your last attempt at shredding “Free Bird”? Maybe it’s 147 files in the download folder that never seem to find their permanent home. Is that considered maintenance?

The list of everyday essentials that require some TLC is lengthy. And while I can try to help you declutter the downloads, we can circle-back to that once we tackle a few priorities on the pipeline. So let’s take a deeper dive into how we can help ourselves by helping our homes. As with rotating your tires, changing the oil, sharpening the blade, or replacing the guitar strings - timely maintenance around the home extends the longevity, efficiency, and general operability of whatever it is you’re tackling at the moment. And we’ll elaborate on the “whatever it is” part throughout this dialogue.

So why go in this direction, you may ask? Because I’ve seen a trend over the past several years of inspecting. A pattern of unfortunate missteps that ultimately find themselves printed in an inspection report. We live in our homes, we love our homes…but we don’t SHOW our homes we love them. And while “it’s the thought that counts” has a place and time, so does an adventure to The Home Depot. And if you’re in a crunch for time, you can pull up the app and find out exactly which aisle and bay to visit. That’s also a great way to spend less, to avoid a side-quest down the power tools aisle. Just me?

In no particular order, let’s start with your roof. It’s the first stop I visit during a home inspection, so it’ll bat lead-off on the list. If you have trees over or near your roof - have the branches trimmed at least 10’ back. This helps prevent physical damage, minimizes leaves and debris from falling on the shingles, and (my personal favorite)…stops squirrels from making your roof a rodent rendezvous. From water intrusion to pesky pest visits, all of these scenarios can be detrimental and costly if left to their own devices.

To broaden the scope, don’t stop at maintaining the trees. Pour another cup of Joe and pull the weeds and prune the shrubs while you’re at it. Keep the weeds away from the foundation and shrubs at least 3’ from the structure. The idea is to avoid critter highways and damaging roots against the foundation. Vegetation also traps moisture. Which can lead to more growth ON your home. And that’s not the circle of life you want to encourage.

As a sidenote - let’s take a moment to remind ourselves that while these are generally maintenance items - be safe and smart about diving in to the adventure. I don’t want you to grab the 24’ extension ladder because this rambling home inspector blogger extraordinaire told you to clear the gutters. And while they should be cleared (come to think of it), that project may be better suited for a qualified professional. Someone who is licensed and insured. Personally, I like to find local referrals in area Facebook groups. Then do my own research from there. While I’m always up for a DIY project, I also know when to call in a pro to avoid getting overly ambitious.

That being said, let’s get back to our to-do list. How’s your wooden window trim doing these days? Unless you’re opening the Termite Terraza, make sure it’s painted for protection. Wooden decks also require paint or stain to discourage rotting. And replace/repair loose or spongey boards before putting your bare feet up to some Jimmy Buffett. Protect those feet by having splintery areas properly fixed. Again - find that balance between DIY and calling in a pro.

Here’s a good one. The dryer vent. The unsung hero of our lavender scented laundry. But like any silent savior, the dryer vent can be forgotten. And that can be dangerous. A blocked or restricted dryer vent can be a fire hazard. While there are a handful of creative ways of clearing the line, this is one of those maintenance items that we call in for backup. In our scenario, the same business that clears the dryer lines can also blow-out our HVAC ducts. Collectively, clear lines encourage airflow and help optimize conditions for our appliances. They’re like arteries for our home. Just to punctuate the point, have the dryer vent checked annually. And don’t forget to clean the lint filter after each load!

Along the lines of HVAC, remember to change your furnace air filters. This should be done as per manufacturer’s recommendations for your particular appliance, but usually seasonally. If you have a whole-house humidifier, that filter should definitely be changed…somewhere between every three to six months. The combination of water and heat could otherwise lead to mold. Speaking of water, does your refrigerator have an ice maker or water dispenser? It likely has a replaceable filter. The fridge may even have an alert light when it’s time. Have you been staring at that light for six weeks? Think of how satisfied you’ll feel when it finally stops mocking you.

The next time you grab a dishwasher tablet, check the sink for any drips. Check your bathroom sinks too. Basically, make sure water fixtures are only delivering water when you want them to, and where you want them to. Toilets can leak, showers can leak, hoses can leak…water just has this wonderful way of going rogue. If you turn on the shower and it’s spraying the ceiling, call the plumber. I’ve had that happen.

When’s the last time you’ve tested your ground fault circuit interrupter aka GFCI outlets? Grab a hairdryer and get ready to take it for a spin around the house. GFCI outlets are typically installed outside, in the garage, the kitchen, and bathrooms. The common denominator in these areas being water. Turn on the hairdryer, then press the “test” button on the outlet. The outlet should “pop” and deactivate the hairdryer. Restore power by pressing the “reset” button. If these steps don’t work, there may be a wiring problem, and I’d recommend calling an electrician. GFCI outlets protect us by instantly cutting power if water or a person breaks the electrical current. Thus it’s a solid plan to make sure they are always at the ready.

Is that light at the top of the steps out? Before you head out for a new one…you might as well check the rest of them throughout the home. Save yourself a bonus trip to the store. While you’re flipping switches, open the windows. Check the locks to make sure they latch. And make sure the window stays in position. Check the screens for any pulls or holes, or you might find yourself a feathered friend flying around your bedroom come springtime.

If you have an asphalt driveway, have it sealed every few years to ensure a durable and smooth surface that deflects and channels water away from your home. Any driveway for that matter, regardless of material, should be monitored for divots or uneven surfaces. And corrected if such conditions arise. Circling back to the trees we mentioned at the top of the page, they can be problematic for driveways, paths, patios, and sidewalks. So keep them in check!

The idea here is to remind us that our homes work hard to keep us comfortable and safe, but so often in the field I see that we don’t often reciprocate the gesture. One of my trade organizations publishes a book that features some home maintenance tips. If you’d like a copy just let me know. But in return I expect to see video evidence that you’ve tested the GFCI outlets. However I do NOT want to see you up on a 24’ extension ladder cleaning gutters.