Home Maintenance Tips
- Exterior Caulking – Inspect all wood to wood joints and wood to stucco joints. Check for deterioration at all caulking joints. Cut away the loose caulking and re-caulk with an exterior high performance grade caulking.
- Bathroom Caulking – The caulk joints in the bathrooms need to be inspected and recaulked (if needed) every six months. This includes all joints on countertops, floors, walls and even where the tub/shower meets the floor. A silicone type caulk is best for this application.
- Garbage Disposal – Fill with ice and turn it on. This will help clean and sharpen the blades.
- Cleaning Window Weep Holes – All windows and sliding doors have weep holes and the holes need to be cleaned at least once a year. The small tracks and channels can get clogged with small bugs and other minor debris. They can be cleaned by using compressed air and/or a dry cloth. Check to make sure weep holes are clear by pouring water into the bottom of the frame and watching the water run out of the weep holes at a moderate rate.
- Roof Maintenance – We recommend that your roof be inspected/serviced annually by a Licensed Roofing Company. Be sure to inspect all roof jacks, vents, water ways, valleys, crickets, saddles, gutters and downspouts. It is very important to keep all of the above clean and free flowing so water can stay on its intended path.
- Drywall Cracks – This is something that if it does occur will show up in the first 12 months of buying a new home. The cracks typically happen around door frames, window frames, cabinets, and etc. They can easily be caulked and painted.
- GFCI Plugs – This is a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. These are the electrical wall plugs that have little reset buttons on the plug (normally black and red in color). These can be found in the kitchen, bath, garage, and outside. They have a test button on them and can easily be tested to confirm that they are working. Hairdryers or other appliances with used or frayed cords will most often trip a GFCI.
- Clothes Dryer Vent Maintenance – Disconnect the exhaust duct from the dryer and remove accumulated lint. This should be done every 6 months. You can also clean the lint filter with soap and water to remove built-up soap and fabric softener.
- Furnace Filters – They are usually located in the ceiling. Some houses may have as many as 3. These should be changed every 6 months, or as stated by the manufacturer of the filter.
- Garage Door Maintenance – Lubricate all rollers, hinges, springs, locks and bearings once every 6 months. Check for loose nuts and screws, and tighten accordingly. Make sure you have the spring tension adjusted by an Authorized Garage Door dealer periodically to keep the door in balance.
- Cabinet Care & Cleaning – For normal cleaning, oil cleaners are excellent wood cleaning products. Use several times a year on your wood cabinets. Spray furniture polishes are also acceptable but will produce a waxy build up. To remove sticky, greasy, dirty spots, use a soft cloth with mild detergent and water to wash the area. Rinse the cloth and wipe to remove the remaining soap residue. Dry cabinets thoroughly with a clean dry cloth. Do not allow water to remain on cabinets for prolonged periods of time.
- Marble & Stone Cleaning – When cleaning marble and other stones the old rule of thumb is never to use anything you wouldn’t use on your hands. Never use powdered cleansers or abrasive pads to clean your stone. Even “soft scrub” type cleaners contain pumice, which is powdered volcanic stone, and might damage your stone countertops or floors. Never use any product which is acidic; this includes substances like ammonia or many common liquid cleaners such as Windex. You should always use sealers and cleaning products designed specifically for natural stone.
- Marble & Stone Floors – Dust mop interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to the natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness. Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments or the wheels may scratch the surface.
