Owning a home comes with several significant responsibilities, and keeping up with the numerous tasks required to maintain it can be daunting. However, being proactive in attending to some vital regions around your home can help you avoid costly repairs in the long run. To assist you in staying on top of these tasks, we have compiled a list of some of the most important home maintenance essential tips. By utilizing these tips, you can stay ahead of any issues and keep your home in good condition throughout the year. If you need help with home repair and maintenance, Odd Job is here to help.
Gutter Maintenance is Very Important
Gutters and downspouts are critical components of your home’s drainage system. They help prevent water damage by directing rainwater and melted snow away from your home. They are vital in protecting your roof from extreme weather conditions. So in order to ensure that your gutters are functioning correctly, inspecting them regularly for signs of blockages caused by leaves or other debris is essential. If you notice any clogs or improper drainage, it’s important to remedy them promptly to prevent water infiltration and damage to your home’s foundation.
If you’re unsure how to clear your gutters, we advise you to ask for the help of a professional to avoid any potential issues. This is especially important during the fall when leaves can accumulate in your gutters, potentially causing significant damage if left unaddressed.
Check Fire Safety and Home Security Monthly
Home safety is often overlooked when discussing home maintenance essential tips. It’s important to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of your home. You must always have adequate supplies in case of a storm or power outage. One crucial home safety tip is to test your security system to ensure it functions correctly regularly. Additionally, test and replace batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and check the expiration date of your fire extinguishers to ensure that they are functional in the event of an emergency. These simple steps can help protect your home and loved ones in an unexpected disaster.
Landscaping Maintenance
In addition to weekly lawn care, tend to your flower beds at least once a month as part of your regular house maintenance routine, especially during the warmer seasons. Neglecting to care for your flower beds can result in several issues – from growing weeds to collecting dead leaves and debris. This can subsequently attract pests and even pose a fire hazard when it’s particularly dry out. By dedicating some time each month to trim and maintain your landscaping, you can help to keep things tidy, prevent unwanted pests from invading your yard, and minimize the risk of fire hazards.
Your Kitchen Should be Cleaned Out Regularly
Your kitchen is a high-traffic area. Since it’s used so much, your kitchen floors and countertops are at a high risk of getting damaged, and their quality is reduced over time. Especially with all of the spilled foods and liquids. As part of your regular house maintenance routine, you should do the following at least once a month:
- Wipe down cabinets,
- Wipe down appliances,
- Clear out any expired items from your pantry,
- Clean your dishwasher to prevent clogs or leaks
- Replace water filters in your refrigerator as needed,
- Check the hose between the wall and the fridge for signs of leaking (for refrigerators with ice machines or water dispensers),
- Mop the floor.
Doing these things will help you avoid any potential leaks and blockages in your kitchen appliances and prolong the lifespan of your kitchen floor and cabinets.
Humid Areas Need to be Cleaned More Often
Moisture-prone areas of your home, such as bathrooms and showers, are susceptible to mould, mildew growth, and water damage. Especially if your ventilation system isn’t strong in these rooms. One of the most important home maintenance essential tips is to clean and inspect the more humid rooms in your home much more often than the others. To prevent these issues, you have to regularly scrub the tile and grout in these areas (with the right cleaning products) at least twice a month. Additionally, you should inspect the fixtures and pipes in these rooms for any signs of leaks, discoloration, or corrosion. Finally, it’s also a good idea to check caulking around shower stalls, bathtubs, sinks, and toilets every once in a while.
Take Care of Your Plumbing
Regularly checking your plumbing system is another essential part of maintaining your home. To do this, you should conduct a thorough visual inspection at least once a month to identify potential damage. If you notice any signs of danger, you can contact a plumber to go into further detail and do any necessary repairs. Some of the signs you can look out for would be:
- Discoloured metal pipes,
- Cracked or crimped plastic, PEX, or polymer parts,
- Rust-like buildup or deposits,
- Frayed metal or discoloration on braided supply hoses.
Additionally, you can take some preventative measures. To prevent significant backups, ensure that slow-running drains are cleaned often. When colder months arrive, you can take the time to protect your pipes from freezing.
Don’t Run Out of Cleaning Supplies
Maintaining a list of home maintenance supplies and monitoring your inventory regularly is a wise practice. This is especially important if you live in an area prone to heavier storms. Getting the necessary basic supplies to keep your home clean and your family healthy during these storms can be difficult. We recommend stocking up on adequate amounts of cleaning materials such as paper products, sponges, cleaning wipes, and liquid or bar soap. Keeping an inventory can help you more easily notice when you’re running out of something. That way, you can always be sure you have everything you may need.
A Stroll Through Your Home Can Help
It’s important to inspect areas of your home that you rarely use or are hidden in some way. This way, you’ll be able to notice early signs of potential issues. Those could be anything from insect or rodent infestation to rot, leaks, or mould growth. Additionally, check your garage door opener to ensure it’s working correctly. These routine checks can be as simple as walking around your home and looking around. They can help you identify and address problems on time. Additionally, they allow you to know your home and its problem areas better.
This tip is crucial if you’ve recently moved or plan to move to a new home soon. This is true even if you’re moving homes within the same city, such as Toronto. While you may think that the hard part of moving is over after you reach out to Toronto area movers and get your stuff all set up, that’s not entirely true. There is still a whole new home you have to get used to maintaining, and these inspections can help you with that.
To Conclude
Regularly performing your home maintenance tasks while following some of these home maintenance essential tips is a great way to prevent expensive problems that can arise from neglect. Of course, if any issues arise, you shouldn’t hesitate to address them, whether by calling a handyman or DIY-ing. But it’s always better to prevent the problems through simple maintenance tasks than fix them.
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