Homes are as alive as the families within them. After years of harboring life, anyone can observe they age, occasionally smell, and develop souls and personalities so deep that some houses seem liable to speak a greeting whenever their doors open. Nurturing buildings requires more than home additions and remodels: every homeowner should be doing a number of maintenance items on a regular basis.
1. Draining hot water heaters. Outright replacement is an expensive and often unnecessary treatment for poor hot water production. Sediment naturally occurs over time, and draining it regularly will ensure the heater always operates at its optimum levels.
2. Cleaning drains. Mats of hair and other grime often clog or impede a drainage system. Periodic cleanings will save the cost of a plumbing visit.
3. Replacing washing machine hoses. Conventional rubber hoses burst so regularly that North American insurance companies have documented nearly 200 million dollars of annual costs in damage. A stainless steel hose will safely prevent a home from entering that statistic.
4. Sealing wooden decks and furniture. It’s a hassle to regularly clean large surfaces and apply a sealer, but with sun and rain weathering, it prevents rot and warping—which lead to a much bigger hassle of rebuilding and repurchasing.
5. Scrubbing dryer vents. When lint clogs a dryer’s exhaust system, bearings and other critical parts can quickly break down and end a machine’s life.
6. Clearing soffit vents. Debris and insulation tend to block the vents that circulate attics and gables, and without a free flow of air, those structures can reach extreme levels of heat which ruins roofs.
7. Attending to septic tanks. If sludge accumulates year after year, the entire tank can backfire and flood a yard. This is easily avoided with a simple annual check up (and pumping when needed).