Maintenance Checks You Should Do NOW!

It’s good practice to take care of your home. Whether it’s a brand new build or it’s been around for several decades, there’s always maintenance checks and updates that you can be doing. Here are some maintenance checks you should do around your home right now.

Check the Water Heater

The Water Heater provides your home with heat, and that’s extremely important throughout the colder months of the year. Not only that but you need a Water Heater in good working order because, without it, you’re going to end up having some very cold and unpleasant showers. The best time of year to get your Water Heater checked is during the summer so you’ll be able to get someone out to you pretty quickly. Water Heaters are very valuable to your home, and so if an engineer has recommended you to replace it,  it might be a good idea to get a new combi boiler if you don’t have one already. These are more efficient and manageable to have in your home and have a long guarantee normally attached to them too.

Get The Roof Inspected

It’s hard to take a look at your roof, especially as to get to it externally, you’d need a pretty big ladder, and that’s something that wouldn’t really be recommended to you, regardless of whether you like heights or not. You can do an inspection of the interior to see if there is any damage or gaps but it’s also a good idea to get someone to take a look at your roof, at least once every year to three years. It all depends on what type of weather you get throughout the year and how extreme it is. And also, when it comes to selling your property, you’ll need to ensure that everything is in working order up on your roof. Only attempt to go up on your roof if you’ve got professional experience, otherwise, leave it to someone who knows what they are doing.

Clear The Gutters

Gutters are another thing that many of us forget exist, but they are a very important part of the property in making sure rainfall drains down the property safely. Gutters can get clogged up by debris and other various bugs and animals who nest there. So to ensure that this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to clean the gutters ideally every season. That way, you reduce the risk of flooding to your property’s inner structure. You can get self-contained gutters, but even these will need clearing out every so often. Let your neighbours know that you’re cleaning the gutters as it’s likely to cause some mess that may end up going onto your neighbour’s own property. Ensure you’ve gloved up and that you wash your hands thoroughly after doing it.

Replace Or Fix Broken Cabinets

Cabinets are one of the furnishings in your home that can easily break and therefore, it’s a good idea to check them occasionally, especially if you have children who like to go around banging doors and drawers. Broken cabinets can either be fixed or will need replacing and sometimes it’s a matter of screwing back in the hinges into the cupboard. Some may need a fresh lick of paint, but others may want replacing. If that’s the case, then aim to get soft-closing cabinets and drawers next time around as these are less likely to break easily, no matter how hard you slam a cabinet door or drawer.

Check Exterior Drainage

Gutters are the main drainage on the outside of your home, but you should have other drains around your home, whether that’s manholes close by, or trains that get rid of any water in your garden. These again, are very likely to get a build-up of debris, especially as they’ll be low on the ground and therefore are much likelier to get more stuff clogged up in there. You want to also keep an eye on these public manholes around your property because excess rainfall may end up flooding and then if it gets anywhere near your property, the foundations of your home can become compromised. Puddles and water, in general, should not sit around your home for more than a day and if it does, then you may have a problem that needs looking at.

Monitor Energy Usage

We all use a varying amount of energy, but it’s good to monitor this on your checklist of maintenance checks. This is because sometimes, our energy usage can rise due to gaps or cracks in the wall or faults to your doors or windows that are meant to keep the heat in. There are plenty of monitors that you can purchase to keep an eye on your appliances and should anything rise dramatically, then you have the opportunity then to make the necessary changes to help reduce your energy usage.

Test Smoke And Carbon Dioxide Alarms

And finally, alarms are important in your home to alert you to danger. So when it comes to smoke and carbon dioxide alarms, these need to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that the batteries in them are still functional and that everything works as normal. Especially if you’ve found that these have been used more regularly recently and are at risk of having dead batteries. It’s better to be safe than sorry because you don’t want there to be a fire or a leak that you’re unaware of because the alarms didn’t go off.

Looking after your home is a responsibility you should take seriously as a homeowner. Pay attention to the external drainage and that everything is clearing as it should. Fix any broken cabinets and fill up any gaps or cracks within your property’s walls and structure. Get the roof and Water Heater inspected annually and keep on top of checking your smoke alarms as well as your energy usage. We all have the ability to reduce our carbon footprint after all.