If you don’t perform regular maintenance, then your home will fall into disrepair. Some parts of your home need more attention than others. Unfortunately, many homeowners only ever make repairs or perform maintenance when problems become manifest.
You shouldn’t wait until problems arise before you start maintaining and looking after your house. Instead, you should take proactive steps to make sure that your house is constantly in good condition.
This post will tell you about six areas of your home that need special attention, and that you may need to repair every few years.
Your Windows
Very few people actually pay attention to (and look after) their windows. Most people just take them for granted. However, every so often it is essential to perform maintenance on your windows. According to one specialist service offering window replacements in Dallas, you could even have to replace them. The most common reason people have to replace their windows is that they have shattered or broken. Another common reason is wood rot. If your window’s frame is made from wood, then overexposure to moisture and dampness could lead to wood rot. Wood rot could cause your window to disintegrate. Something else to consider is putting an anti-collision sticker on your window, to prevent birds from flying into them. If birds fly into your windows, they could break them, and kill themselves. Be sure to keep your windows clean, and well looked after, and lubricate them periodically.
Cleaning Vents
If your home has an air-conditioning unit, then it’s essential that you regularly clean out its vents. Also, you should make sure that you clean its filter, too. Mold can grow inside vents and air-conditioning filters. Then, when you turn your unit on, the mold’s spores can begin circulating through your house. These spores can irritate the lungs of people with allergies. Some molds have even been shown to cause pneumonia, inflammation, and infections. Cleaning out vents and filters will ensure that the air you breathe is clean, free from impurities, and most importantly, not dangerous.
Roof Maintenance
The roof is an area that’s often overlooked by homeowners. One of the main reasons that people neglect their roofs is because they are very high up and can’t be seen without the use of a ladder. However, not maintaining your roof can have disastrous consequences. For example, if a tile comes loose, then leaks could get into your attic. These leaks could then damage your home’s structure, cause mold, and even allow in pests. You shouldn’t perform roof repairs yourself. Instead, you should pay a professional repairman to do it for you.
Repairing Doors
Your home’s doors are something else that you should inspect periodically. The reason for this is quite simple, really. Over time, the screws holding your door to the wall tend to come loose. If these screws become too loose, then they can give way and the door they are holding place could fall over, which could seriously injure somebody. It is particularly common for this to happen to bathroom doors because the wood the screws are inserted into tends to swell. Repairing the doors in your house is really simple. All you need to do is to reattach the screws, or just tighten them up. Be sure to oil the hinges, too.
Updating Wiring
The wiring in your house should be updated every few years. The reason for this is that outdated wiring can be very dangerous. Unfortunately, this is not a job that you can do yourself unless you are a trained electrician. Working with electricity can be very dangerous. You need extensive training before it’s safe for you to do so. The best way to determine whether or not your home’s wiring needs to be replaced is to pay an electrician to come in and perform a safety check for you. Wiring replacements can be expensive.
Fixing Plumbing
If you notice any problems with your home’s plumbing (i.e., leaks, damp spots, or blocked drains), then call in a plumber. Your home’s plumbing isn’t necessarily dangerous for you to repair yourself, but you could make problems a lot worse if you haven’t had training or don’t know what you are doing. Plumbers, like electricians, can be very expensive. However, most plumbers offer payment plans. With all of the above said, there are some minor repairs you can do yourself, like unclogging a drain or unblocking a toilet. You can save a lot of money by undertaking minor repairs yourself.
If you take time to look after and maintain your house, then you will save a lot of money. The more minor repairs and maintenance that you can do yourself, the less frequently you will need to call in contractors. The only repairs you should never undertake yourself (even minor ones) are roof- and electrical-related repairs.