Home Maintenance Checklist

Summer is coming to a close, and fall is just around the corner! Fall is a great time to do some routine maintenance around and in your home. Unfortunately, a lot of times we fall behind on home maintenance. Much like your car, though, your home needs some general maintenance done on it periodically so it can keep running smoothly and efficiently. When we have the oil changed in our car, the mechanic puts a little sticker in the windshield so we’ll remember when to come back. Our homes don’t come with little reminder stickers, so its up to you to remember! With the kids back in school and the weather beginning to cool off, fall is a great time to work on some home maintenance.

Here are some key things to check off on your home maintenance checklist-

After you cut your grass the last time for the year, drain all the extra gasoline out of your lawn mower and make sure any extra is properly stored.
Aerate, fertilize, and reseed your lawn. It may seem counter intuitive, but fall is the perfect time to get a jump start on a beautiful lawn for next year.
Roll up your hoses and store them indoors. Nice hoses can be expensive, and properly storing them indoors and out of the elements can add years to the life of your hoses.
Insulate any outdoor faucets and winterize your sprinkler system. This one is easy to forget, but frozen pipes can be very destructive to your home and property!
Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected before lighting it up for the year. Creosote can build up in the flue and cause a fire. Better safe than sorry!
Check out your roof and repair any loose shingles and replace any missing nails. Many roofing companies offer free inspections, so call around if you’re uncomfortable going up on the roof yourself.
Be sure to cut down any branches hanging over your roof. If the branches ice over during the winter, they may get too heavy and fall on your roof.
Clean your gutters and downspouts.
Check out the caulking and weather stripping around all doors and windows. This is an easy, cheap fix and can save you tons of money on your utility bills by making your home hold heat more efficiently during the fall and winter.
Have your HVAC unit checked out. If you wait till the first cold night to check it out and discover there’s a problem, you may have a hard time getting an HVAC technician to come out quickly as they’re sure to be busy.
Change your air filters. Old, clogged air filters can decrease the efficiency of your unity, which increases your utility bills. Also, its gross. Changing the air filter can help improve the quality of the air you’re breathing.
Insulate any exposed water pipes to avoid burst pipes inside your home.
Drain your hot water heater. Sediment in your hot water heater can cause major problems. Read our post on draining your hot water heater!

Keeping up with yearly maintenance on your home is important and can go a long way in saving you money. Performing maintenance tasks can make your home run more efficiently, saving you money on utility bills, and can prevent you from needing major repairs.

If you need help with any of your home maintenance plumbing tasks, call Masterflo today at (678) 822-7095. We’re family and locally owned and operated and we have your best interest at heart! Call the plumber you can trust!