A home is one of the essential investments individuals make in their lifetime. You can protect your property and increase its value by performing regular maintenance throughout the year. Different seasons pose various structural challenges, and homeowners may secure their investment by establishing cleanup and protection routines.
Many residents feel overwhelmed about the costs and labor required in home maintenance. Fortunately, advanced technology and low-impact practices increase safety and decrease the price of protecting a home. Cleaning out gutters, checking on sprinkler systems, inspecting roofs, preserving floors, preventing mold development, and improving fire safety devices all improve the value and security of a property.
1. Summer Gutter Cleaning
As the temperature rises, homeowners can get outside and conduct external maintenance. Cleaning out gutters can improve a property’s security, preventing leaks and water damage. Adequate stormwater dispersal systems additionally prevent a property’s erosion, protecting a home’s foundation.
Parents should reduce gutter buildup to protect their children. When the systems become clogged, their heavyweight increases the risk of dismounting. Fallen gutters can decrease the safety of outdoor playtime.
Fortunately, with adequate knowledge and tools, homeowners can clear gutters with ease. When conducting maintenance, individuals should have protective glasses and heavy gloves. Some gutters contain sharp debris and screws that may harm an individual’s hands and arms.
You will additionally need a sturdy ladder and a supervision partner. When you reach the gutters, you may remove sticks, leaves, bugs and debris, allowing for a smooth water flow through the system. Homeowners may test the device by spraying water down the gutter, evaluating the flow.
2. Sprinkler System Maintenance
Homeowners can also conduct sprinkler system tests and maintenance during the summertime. Adequately functioning sprinklers can improve one’s lawn quality and support vegetation development. Without proper upkeep, watering systems can exploit natural resources and increase a homeowner’s utility costs.
Malfunctioning sprinkler systems can lose half of a homeowner’s outdoor water supply from evaporation, high winds and runoff. They may lose 25,000 gallons annually from unmaintained systems. Fortunately, environmental engineers developed a simple design that requires low upkeep and reduces water loss.
Smart sprinklers connect to the internet, accessing weather forecasts and optimizing watering times. They reduce their functions during high precipitation seasons, helping homeowners save money. Additionally, they evaluate local sun exposure, temperatures and daylight hours, minimizing evaporation-driven water loss.
Installing a low-maintenance smart irrigation device can increase the value of your home. Eco-consumerism is rising in the U.S., expanding the demand for sustainable properties. Decreasing your house’s ecological impact can improve its ability to sell.
3. Conduct a Roof Inspection
Roof inspections are essential for limiting heat loss and water damage. During colder months, snowmelt may accumulate on roofs, freezing and thawing, generating ice dams. The developments can cause severe structural damage, and homeowners can reduce potential harm.
A home’s heat loss promotes ice dam development and increases utility costs. The average homeowner spends $1,900 on heating annually. Nearly 25% of the money goes to waste because of inadequate roof insulation and protection.
Conducting annual roof maintenance can prevent heat loss and optimize one’s utility savings. Residents may inspect their roofs safely while remaining on the ground. You may first enter your attic or crawl space and search for damp spots or leaks.
Next, you may walk around your property outside and look for fallen shingles or exposed regions of your roof. Then you may examine your home’s energy rates and evaluate major heat loss regions. Installing a smart energy monitor can help residents determine where electricity loss occurs.
The device connects to one’s electricity meter and gathers valuable energy data. It sends readable charts and graphs to a homeowner’s smartphone through WiFi, helping them identify electricity loss regions. They also provide information, assisting residents in improving a property’s energy efficiency.
After evaluating smart energy monitor data, you can determine your next step. If your roof is generating significant heat loss, you may need to contact a professional.
4. Hardwood Floor Preservation
In the winter, residents spend a significant quantity of time indoors. Homeowners with hardwood floors may perform maintenance, preserving their aesthetic during wearing seasons. Over time, the material can show its age, degrading and becoming scratched.
Homeowners can coat the floors with protective solutions and add rugs to prevent dents and damage. They may also place soft pads under heavy furniture. Hardwood is susceptible to light degradation from ultraviolet rays as well.
Residents can prevent light damage by installing curtains in high sun exposure windows. Additionally, they may install a dehumidifier, reducing moisture damage.
5. Mold Inspections and Maintenance
Performing regular mold inspections after high precipitation months is essential to your family’s health and well-being. When stormwater seeps into a home, trapped moisture generated mold-producing regions. Removing and preventing mold can increase the longevity of a structure and its value.
Many variations of mold are not harmful to humans. Homeowners can easily wipe away the buildup and add a dehumidifier to moisture trapping areas. On the other hand, black mold may cause more severe effects.
Long-term mold exposure causes severe respiratory symptoms. When individuals inhale spores, they may develop fatal illnesses. Mold poisoning causes memory loss, headaches, nosebleeds, and more.
Individuals with mold allergies may develop wheezing, sore throats, sinusitis, and more. Fortunately, you can remove mold from your home with the proper training and supplies. In rare cases, significant accumulations of mold may require professional intervention.
The Future of Home Maintenance
The rise of smart home devices displays a future of easy maintenance. Rather than inspecting all property regions for issues, detection gadgets may send an altar to the homeowner’s phone. They may additionally save money, fixing minor problems before they develop into severe home disruptors.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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