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Maintain Your Home Year Round With These Tips

by Innov8tiv.com

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If you are a homeowner, then you know that it takes a lot of work and careful attention to detail to keep your home in tip-top shape. Letting a small issue linger without repairs can and probably will turn into a much larger problem if you do not attend to it. Luckily, there are several things you can do to be proactive and maintain your home or even improve it. Continue reading for more information.

Service the Air Conditioning Unit

When the temperatures rise or the humidity increases, you want your air conditioner to work properly, and without fail. This is especially true if you live in a warm climate or have small children, the elderly, or someone with a health condition counting on you for comfort. This is why it is essential to have your air conditioning unit serviced annually by an AC service professional.

By having it inspected once a year you will prevent problems from ever occurring. The service provider will be able to determine whether the unit is ageing or in need of repairs. In addition, knowing a trusted service provider means you know exactly who to call in an emergency.

A few other key ways to care for your air conditioning unit include:

  • Keep the area around the unit free from plant overgrowth.
  • Remove fallen leaves and debris routinely.
  • Safely clean the unit before use at the start of the season and once again when the season is over.
  • Cover the unit during the off-season with an approved covering that fits securely.
  • And, always contact a professional when in doubt to handle any concerns.

Inspect the Interior and Exterior for Cracks

Looking all around the inside and outside of your home will serve you well as you look for cracks. Don a headlamp to make the task easier as hairline cracks are difficult to see even in optimal lighting. 

As a house settles, whether it is new construction or has been standing for decades, things will naturally shift. This shifting will, unfortunately, and inevitably, lead to cracks. The cracks can occur in a range of areas throughout your home. Places to look for cracking include:

  • Inspect around door frames where the cracks will look as though the frames are separating from the wall. 
  • This is the same for window casings and frames.
  • Look in the bottom and top of corners for hairline cracks.
  • Check out the areas behind sinks where caulk settling and cracks may occur.
  • Look over the entire ceiling, and include all levels in the home, even in utility rooms.
  • Take a ladder and inspect the outside of the home in areas such as the corners of window and door casings.

Once you identify any cracks, mark them with painter’s tape. Monitor them for changes in length, width, and depth over a few weeks. If the cracks are small in size and no new ones have appeared throughout your home, go ahead and fix them. If the cracks grow or more appear, contact a professional to determine whether there is a structural issue at hand.

Keep it Clean

One of the most difficult things for homeowners to do is to maintain a cycle of cleanliness surrounding their homes. With you, your partner, the kids, and your pets running in and out of the house and to and from activities and work every day, it can be daunting to find the time to clean. Know this, however, that it is important to clean to prevent damage from occurring and as a way to inspect your home on a routine basis.

Some easy ways to begin a habit of keeping your home clean begin with trying new approaches. The touch-it-once method involves picking something up and then putting it in its place instead of on a countertop or desk to deal with at a later time. With this mindset, you handle things as they occur instead of adding more to-dos or taskers to your mental workload. Once it is done, it is done!

Another way to handle cleaning is to enlist your family members to get the job done as a team. Regardless of age or ability, everyone can contribute. Even if it is only picking up toys and placing them in bins, that will be a big help when you circle back with a vacuum or broom and do not have to waste time picking up items off of the floor before beginning.

Tackle cleaning by making the jobs calendar items or appointments on your schedule. Create a family calendar so everyone knows what is expected of them. Put on a favourite podcast or upbeat music playlist and try to get as much done during an episode or specific timeframe. Vote on a reward to show appreciation for everyone’s hard work when you are finished cleaning.

Watch this video to learn ways to make cleaning more fun.

Create or Add Money to Your Emergency Fund

Discussing an emergency fund may not be a common addition to a post on home maintenance; however, if you do not have the money to pay for a necessary home repair, how will you handle it? If you let an emergent issue go without addressing it, you could have a mess on your hands that will lead to more issues down the road.

This is the case when it comes to water leaks. If a leak is not fixed as soon as possible, it can lead to an eventual failure of a pipe or gasket and a resulting flood in your home as a worst-case scenario. A minor leak can cause damage to the ceilings, walls, and flooring with consequential mould that can lead to health concerns.

To offset these potential problems, have an emergency fund that you can draw from to pay for repairs without having to tap into your savings or grocery money. If you need to utilize it, ensure you begin to replenish it as soon as you are able.

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Take good care of your home, and it will take care of you. By staying on top of routine maintenance tasks and paying attention to small concerns before they have a chance to grow into major problems, you will save yourself time and money. Proper care means you can enjoy your home for years to come and even increase the property value.

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