Home maintenance tips

With all the benefits that come to owning a home, neglect of home maintenance can make a difference to a good or bad experience.  Owning a home is a big investment and there are some things that you can do to protect that investment.  Below are a few home maintenance items designed to help provide a healthy environment inside the home as well as protect against potential catastrophes.  

1. Air and water filtration.  Changing your HVAC filter out on a regular schedule will help keep the air in your home healthy but it will also help with the health and efficiency of your HVAC unit.   An overly used, dirty air filter will put stress on your HVAC unit which could lead to some premature costly repairs.  Depending upon the type of filter your system requires, a bi-monthly service of the air filter will help keep your home and system clean.  When it comes to water, the better the filtration, the better the health.  Depending upon your water source and your plumbing pipes, it is always a good idea to have a good water filtration system in place, especially at drinking sources.  Filtering your whole house water will help keep faucets and faucet aerators working smooth. 

2. Gutters and drainage.  Having gutters on your home is a BIG benefit when it comes to taking care of your home.  Gallons and gallons of water run off your roof during a rainstorm and snow melt.  Channeling all that water away from the foundation of your house and the siding of your house will make a big difference in the integrity of your home.  It is critical that your downspouts carry water at least 10ft away.  In addition to downspouts, it is important that you do not have any low spots or negative landscape sloping towards the house.  Water should always run away from the foundation.

3. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors.  A very important safety item to have in the home are smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.   A smoke detector should be placed in every bedroom and a smoke and carbon monoxide detector placed in the hallway outside the bedrooms.  If the home is a two level, the downstairs should have a smoke and carbon monoxide detector in the downstairs area as well. 

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