4. Blogs by your San Antonio Home Inspector
Maintnance Tips for your San Antonio Home
Submitted by JoeKeresztury on Sun, 10/04/2015 - 01:23.Do You Know these 5 Easy Maintenance Tips for Your Home?
You know proper maintenance in and around your home will keep your home looking beautiful and also helps you keep away problems saving you from costly repairs in the long run. Harvey Guerra, who specializes in manufactured homes in New Braunfels told me, “Regular maintenance is going to ensure the stability of you home and keep energy efficiency as well. This way your family can enjoy your home for years to come.”
Take a look at these 5 easy maintenance tips to keep your home beautiful and in good shape.
1. Change the Air Filter on Your Furnace Often
Here is the scoop, changing your furnace filter keeps down the amount of dust floating through your home and, as Energy Star points out, a clean filter makes your furnace/air conditioner run smoothly plus it keeps dust out of your ductwork saving you a large amount of money in the long run.
Most people will need to change their filter about every three months and it often takes less than 5 minutes to swap out the old one for the new one. It is usually as easy as opening up the access door, sliding out the old one, and sliding in the new one, but of course be sure to follow the manufacturer guidelines for how to change the filter on your particular unit.
2. De-cluttering
Piles of stuff makes a home look like a dump and piles of stuff hides what is going on inside or outside of your home which can attract bugs or keep moisture leading to rot. To keep bugs out and rot away, keep any piles of debris away from your mobile home and keep clutter out of your home as well. This is an easy task for those organized people, but what if I am a free spirit that hates to clean or someone overwhelmed with work to do around my house?
For those of us who can't seem to get ahead of the curve, limit yourself (that's right, put a time limit on it) to an hour a week of de-cluttering or at least choose one small de-cluttering task, but make that time worth it. If you spend just one hard working hour a week, you will get in a full work week's worth of cleaning in about nine months. Now you won't need to take that week of vacation to clean the house before Christmas, you can make those cookies instead (let me know when you are done making thumb print cookies, I'll be right over). Once you have an area clean, keep that area de-cluttered. If it is the rest of the family making everything a mess, they will keep it clean if the weekly cleaning becomes “mandatory family fun” and be sure to give rewards for keeping the home clean.
3. Ensure the Gutters are Clear
Plugged up gutters can cause rainwater to back up under your eaves causing water damage to your home and if you wait too long, you might even get a tree growing in your gutters. With just a little bit of time you can ensure all the rain water will shoot out your drains like the next big attraction at your favorite water park.
With gutter cleaning adapters for your leaf blower, shop vac, pressure washer, or even garden hose, cleaning your gutters is now easier than ever. Just point your gutter cleaning implement of victory at the gutter and shoot all the junk out of there. If you do not feel comfortable cleaning your own gutters, paying a small amount to have someone else clean your gutters is a much better use of your money than having to buy a new home.
4. Deep Clean the Carpets
I talked to Wayne G. who has installed carpet for over 20 years. He told me this secret for getting the longest life out of carpets...most people should steam clean their carpets once a year, no more, no less. Deep cleaning the carpets removes dirt and debris that cause carpets to wear too quickly, yet excessive deep cleaning can also create problems for your carpet as well.
Wayne also recommended we make sure spills and stains are cleaned right away. The exception to the once a year rule is it is a good idea to deep clean your carpet more often if you have a high traffic floor (like if you are the local hangout for all the kids in the neighborhood).
5. Maintaining Your Tile
Tiles make a home beautiful and look as great on the wall, as on the floor, as in the shower. While tile is great, most of us don't do the little bit of maintenance needed. Improperly cared for tile could mean costly repairs to re-grout or even re-tile your space.
Like everything else, tile should be cleaned at least weekly to keep the dirt out of the grout. Just as importantly, grout occasionally needs to be resealed (how often depends on the sealant you choose). The good news is sealing the grout is easy enough for a three year old to do (and no, I did not just tell you to have your three year old do it and no you cannot borrow mine either). You will find a wide selection of sealant plus different ways to apply grout sealer at any home maintenance store.
What do you think? Which tip did you find most helpful? What are some easy maintenance tips you share with others? Join the conversation below.
By Joseph W. Keresztury
JWK Inspections
