spring Home Maintenance Tips

HOME MAINTENANCE tips 

  Staying up to date with home maintenance is necessary to keep your home safe and ensure your home’s systems are functioning as designed. Falling behind on home maintenance can leave fixtures in need of costly repairs or invite unwanted pests into your living space. While  home maintenance may sound like a daunting task, it can be broken up by the season to create an easy to follow routine. It is important that you take a short time to inspect your home every season, however homeowners who would like a more in depth evaluation often hire a home inspector once a year.

​The arrival of spring is an opportune time to conduct your first home inspection of the year. Here are some spring home maintenance tips you can use yearlong to make sure your home stays in top shape.

Roof​

Start out in your front yard by evaluating the roof. It is not necessary to walk the roof to understand it’s condition however if you are comfortable with using a ladder, an evaluation at the roof's edge is more than sufficient. If inspecting from the ground you can use binoculars to get a better look at the roof. So now that you’re outside and looking at the roof, you're probably asking what should I be looking for? Look for displaced or damaged shingles. Keep an eye out for shingles with cracks or other signs of damage. You also should keep an eye out for exposed nails or nail pops, this is a condition where the nail securing a shingle is pushing the shingle up in the middle. Nearby tree branches can also cause mechanical damage to shingles if unattended. 
While you’re at the roof’s edge it would be a good idea to check out the gutters. Ensure the gutters are connected to downspouts. Look for damage, debris, and loose granules that may have been shed from roof shingles into the gutters. As your roof ages it will shed some of the granules covering its shingles. If there is a large amount of loose granules in your gutter it may be time to have your roof evaluated.

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​Exterior Coverings

There are many different coverings a home may have from brick, to stucco, wood, or even a combination of materials. All these materials have one thing in common, they want to avoid moisture intrusion to preserve their longevity. Look for damage, cracks, and signs of moisture like arch shaped staining on stucco or warped wood panels. Oftentimes homeowners are unaware of a nearby sprinkler that is spraying on their exterior siding. Over time that sprinkler can cause stucco to crack and even allow moisture into wood siding inviting pests like termites. 
While you’re looking at the wall coverings, check the fascia boards, doors, trim, and siding for deteriorated paint or damage. Many homeowners simply forget to paint their fascia boards and when they are made of wood they will eventually deteriorate. Because fascia boards are exposed to the sun and rain it's a good idea to paint them every 3 to 5 years to protect them from the elements.

Vegetation and Grade

The trees and plants around your home are great for decoration and shade but we shouldn’t forget to trim them periodically. A nearby tree can brush up against roof shingles damaging them and causing premature granule loss. Shrubs can retain moisture against exterior siding leaving unappealing stains, inviting moisture and possibly even termites in. The grading around your home should slope away from your foundation. The soil around your home should slope away from the foundation’s walls for a minimum of 6” for the first 10’.

Windows

Take a brief moment to inspect the caulking around windows for degradation. Window caulking can degrade from UV exposure leaving space for interior air to escape and an increased energy bill. A good silicone caulking job can remain effective for up to 5 years and keep moisture out. While you're inspecting the caulking take a look at the window’s trim, the stool and apron sections of window trim are most likely to need maintenance over the years.

Garage Door

Begin your inspection by looking for damaged door panels and inspecting the trim around the door. Often we find the trim around a garage door is too close or in contact with concrete. When trim is in contact with concrete, the moisture in the concrete will be drawn into the wood and eventually decay. Next look at the spring and containment unit on the inside of the garage. If the springs look to be broken, damaged or in poor condition you should contact a professional garage company for an evaluation. Inspect the track being sure the track is in good shape and securely connected to the wall or ceiling. If everything is in good shape so far, you can test the photoelectric eyes and inspect the opener. Begin by opening the garage door using the wall controls. During this time look for areas where the garage door may be sagging and listen for a loosely fitting opener chain. Now to test the photoelectric eyes close the garage door and break the plane between the eyes. The garage door should come to a halt to prevent it from closing on anything in its path, If they don't function as intended it would be a good idea to contact a professional.

Air Conditioning Unit

The last thing you want is your AC to go out mid summer, fortunately staying on top of maintenance can help prevent that from happening. Replacing the filter is one of the easiest things you can do to maintain your HVAC system and it only takes a few minutes of work. Typically we recommend replacement of filters every month as the average home has at least one pet or occupant with allergies. The next thing you can do is evaluate the AC coils itself, look for dirt and dust that may be caked on  the coils. If there is a large buildup it may be an indication that you may need to change your filter more regularly and or consult an AC professional for a tune up. While inspecting the coils note whether the unit is level as it affects the performance of the unit. Finally take a look at the refrigerant line and its insulation. Insulation that covers the refrigerant line can be damaged by UV rays from the sun leaving the line exposed. When this happens the refrigerant entering the compressor is warmer causing the compressor to work extra hard. ​

Plumbing

Now that you’ve gotten a good look at the exterior systems of your home it’s time to take a look at the plumbing. Start in the kitchen by turning on the sink and opening the cabinets beneath them, looking for any active leaks or stains that would indicate previous leaks. Now move to the bathrooms, and start by using the sink stopper and filling the sink. If the sink stopper does not function as designed it may need adjustment. Open the cabinets and let the sink drain, looking for any signs of leaks just as you did in the kitchen. While you’re in the bathroom flush the toilet and look for any indications of a leak around the base of the toilet and tank. Finally take a few minutes to evaluate the flooring and trim near the shower or bathtub and toilet for damage.
Take a minute to inspect your water heater for leaks, a leaky drain valve can indicate sediment buildup in the water heater that may need to be flushed and have its drain valve replaced. 

When In Doubt Hire A Pro

No matter if you are buying your first home, selling your current one, or simply looking to do some annual maintenance, a home inspection is an excellent way to determine its condition. A professional home inspector will not only inspect individual fixtures but also inspect the home as one complete system. 
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Don’t let maintenance items go unnoticed, give us a call today at Collie Home Inspections. We perform home inspections across California’s central valley including; Fresno, Madera, Merced, Selma, Reedly, Lemoore, Tulare, Visailia and more! Give us a call today! 559-765-1366