12 Home Maintenance Tips From the Professionals
12 Home Maintenance Tips to Do Before the Winter
Chris Capalbo has been watching over the luxurious home of the Hamptons for years and has developed a method that helps prevent winter disasters. It is all about taking the necessary actions to keep up on proper home maintenance.
1. Replace your furnace filters seasonally. This helps your furnace run efficiently and reduces allergens in your home. By doing your furnace will run strong throughout the winter preventing your pipes from freezing.
2. Clean the air conditioner grill and register regularly. You would be surprised how much dust gets collected in the register, by removing the dust your air conditioner will run more efficiently
3. Vacuum condenser coils found at the refrigerator’s back. This should be done yearly to prevent build up. By vacuuming the coils you will extend the life of your refrigerator.
4. Polish your front door if it is made of natural wood. If your wood door is not hydrated properly the dry winter air can cause the wood to form cracks. Don’t let your warm air out through your front door!
5. Replace the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors yearly. Dust and check the detectors at least twice a year. By doing this you could save you and your family’s life.
6. Inspect the water heater to see if there are any leaks or rust forming. If needed call a technician to assess your water heater.
7. Check your stove’s exhaust hood. Clean it if it needs and replace the filter once a year.
8. Check furnace and see if there is any scale, build – up, or ruse. If you hear any weird noises, seek and professional technician.
9. Check your toilets or faucets. Check for any leaking water, constantly running toilets, or cracks. Leaking water can become very expensive whether it is your increase water bill or a slow leak causing a flood over the winter. We had a client who had three stories destroyed by a leaking faucet.
10. Perform a safety inspection on your garage doors. Place it in manual position and then raise it. It must smoothly glide and remain open approximately 3ft from the floor.
11. Have your dryer vents cleaned annually. Dryer lint is a huge fire hazard if not cleaned out regularly.
12. Bring your window screens in for the winter. It will extend the life of your screen by not exposing them to the extreme weather of the winter, especially the ice.
