Home Maintenance Tips
Monthly Tips
January
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
February
- Keep under-floor crawlspace vents open as weather and climate permit.
March
- Have your air conditioning unit cleaned and serviced.
April
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
May
- Clean debris and organic material out of your guttering system after yard trees flower and drop their blooms and seed pods, and be sure downspouts are directing water away from your foundation.
June
- Check faucets (interior and exterior), hose bibs, sprinklers and valves for leakage to prevent moisture damage and save on water bills.
July
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
August
- Check caulking for decay around doors, windows, corner boards and joints.
September
- Have your chimney and exterior masonry walls checked and for loose or missing mortar, and your chimney cap for deterioration.
October
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
November
- Clean any debris and organic material out of your guttering system after yard trees drop their leaves, and make sure downspouts are directing water away from your foundation.
December
- Perform safety checks and draw off sediment in water heaters per manufacturer’s instructions.
Seasonal Tips
Spring
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
- Check your basement for dampness and leakage after wet weather.
- Keep under-floor crawlspace vents open as weather and climate permit.
- Trip your circuit breakers and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters to ensure they are working properly.
- On steam HVAC systems, “blow off” or drain low water according to manufacturer’s instructions or the instruction tag.
- Check fascias and soffits for paint flaking, leakage and decay.
- Keep under-floor crawlspace vents open as weather and climate permit.
- Have your air conditioning unit cleaned and serviced.
Summer
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
- Check siding, shingles and trim for damage, looseness, warping or decay. Recheck after extreme heat conditions or severe storms.
- Check the grading around your home for erosion. Grading should slope away from foundation walls.
- Have your septic system cleaned out every 2-5 years depending on tank size and usage (for homes not on municipal sewer lines.)
- Turn the power off and clean around heating and cooling equipment, removing leaves, dust, overgrown shrubbery, vines and weeds.
- Check foundation walls, steps, retaining walls, walks, patios, driveways, garage floors, etc. for cracks, heaving or crumbling.
- Clean debris and organic material out of your guttering system after yard trees flower and drop their blooms and seed pods, and be sure downspouts are directing water away from your foundation.
- Check faucets (interior and exterior), hose bibs, sprinklers and valves for leakage to prevent moisture damage and save on water bills.
Fall
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
- Check your roof and skylights for damaged, blistered, loose or missing shingles and flashing.
- Check roof vents, louvers and chimneys for birds’ nests, squirrels and insects.
- Check aerial antennas for sturdiness and possible sources of leakage.
- Cut back any tree limbs growing close to or touching the roof.
- Check your guttering system for leaks, misalignments and damage from animals or insects.
- Cut back or trim shrubs away from exterior walls of the home to reduce paint failure, decay, and moisture penetration problems.
- Have your furnace cleaned and serviced.
- Drain exterior water lines, hose bibs, sprinklers and pool equipment before your first freeze.
- Check caulking for decay around doors, windows, corner boards and joints.
- Have your chimney and exterior masonry walls checked and for loose or missing mortar, and your chimney cap for deterioration.
- Clean any debris and organic material out of your guttering system after yard trees drop their leaves, and make sure downspouts are directing water away from your foundation.
Winter
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
- Check your toilet stools, sinks, house traps and sewer cleanouts for leaks.
- Change or clean furnace, air conditioning, electronic and water filters as needed.
- Check bathroom tile joints, tub grouting and caulking for good seals to prevent damage to walls, floors and ceilings below. Replace shrunken or decayed grout and caulking.
- Perform safety checks and draw off sediment in water heaters per manufacturer’s instructions.