4 Home Maintenance Items You Might Not Have Thought About Before
If you are a new homeowner or even if you recently began renting your own place for the first time, chances are you are finding yourself slightly overwhelmed with the amount of things that you as a new head of a household must take care of. Everything from cleaning to furnishing you new home is now all on your shoulders.
Then there are the big-ticket items that encompass your home’s maintenance that must be considered. If you aren’t entirely sure about what those items might be, here is a list of four of the more common ones that should be seen to at least once a year.
1. Air Conditioning Units
Up until now, you might have thought that your air conditioning unit would just operate without any maintenance on your part. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. There are actually a number of things that should be a part of your ac unit maintenance checklist.
Things that you can do yourself are simple, like hosing down your unit to clean off any debris that could be crippling your unit’s efficiency. Other things, though, like ensuring that your unit’s internal mechanisms are working properly, are best left to professionals.
2. Landscaping
While it is likely that you keep up with regular landscaping maintenance, such as mowing the grass or trimming bushes, there are some bigger things that you will need to take care of on a seasonal basis.
The springtime is generally reserved for preparing your yard for new growth by properly fertilizing soil and removing any dead growth. Prepping for the winter is an entirely different task, as you will need to protect any plants and trees against harsh temperatures.
3. Chimney
If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, there are some maintenance items that you need to keep in mind. Each year, preferably before the colder months set in since that is when you will most likely get the use out of your fireplace, look to have a professional chimney sweep come in and service your chimney.
This is something you don’t want to neglect. Roughly 25,000 house fires stem from chimneys each year. If you fail to have your chimney properly swept, soot can accumulate on the interior of the stack. This build-up can overheat and catch fire from sparks that can fly up from a live fire.
4. Accessible Plumbing
Once a year, particularly after winter, you should go through your house and check out any pipes that you have visible access to. Open up any cabinets that house pipes under sinks so that you can look for any slow leaks or drips. If you find any, be sure to call a plumber right away.
It is also a good idea to take a look around at the ceilings in your home to see if there is any visible water damage – there might be a leak that isn’t so obvious!
