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Owning a home is a wonderful thing. It’s a place that you can call your own, your safe haven, your nest. It’s also a significant investment. A well-maintained home will most likely gain in value and provide an opportunity for financial growth over the course of years. But with the privilege and advantages of homeownership comes the responsibility to maintain your home so that it keeps its value and shields you from unnecessary repairs.
One of the best ways to keep up with your home maintenance is to have a checklist of tasks and inspections scheduled throughout the year. By sticking to a regular maintenance schedule you’ll prepare your home for the change of seasons, and catch problems before they become major issues.
Monthly Checklist:
Spring Checklist:
Summer Checklist:
Fall Checklist:
Winter Checklist:
A seasonal approach is a smart way to tackle home maintenance chores. After all, some jobs logically slot into a season — for example, clearing leaves out of your gutters in the fall. However, there are some important items that should be checked every month. Here are the key items that you should put onto a monthly checklist.
One of the best ways to ensure the efficient operation of your HVAC system and enjoy the cleanest possible air in your home is to regularly change the filters in your system. How often you actually need to change your filters will depend on many factors, including the cleanliness of your home and the air quality in your neighborhood. Another factor is pet ownership. Start by checking your filters monthly and replacing them when they’re dirty. You’ll soon know how often they should be changed.
Keep a sharp eye out around your toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs. Even small leaks can cost you a significant amount of wasted water and a higher water bill. Worse, small leaks can create mold and damage floors, ceilings, and walls, necessitating costly and inconvenient repairs. And while you’re at it, inspect the grout and caulking around your tub and shower. Touching up small spots can prevent larger problems from developing.
This is especially important if you or someone in your family is an avid home cook. A dirty filter will hurt the efficiency of your range’s exhaust fan and impair kitchen air quality.
We’ll cover some of the particulars in detail when we examine your seasonal checklist. But be aware of anything that’s different outside of your home. Do you see a loose shingle? Water pooling by the foundation? Or does your heat pump sound like it’s running rough? All of these can be tell-tales for bigger problems down the road.
By attending to these tasks on a regular basis you’ll develop some good habits in home maintenance. Now let’s look at some home maintenance items that are closely associated with the seasons.
After the cold months of winter, it’s important to inspect your home for problems that may have emerged. While you’re sharpening your lawnmower blade, it’s also time to get on top of these items on your home maintenance checklist to prepare for the warmer days to come.
It’s time to think ahead and get your home’s HVAC system checked out before the hot weather of summer puts stress on your air conditioning. Be sure to have qualified technicians do the work. It’s a smart idea to consider a home HVAC maintenance plan with a reputable company, like the ones we offer at Team Enoch. You’ll save money and enjoy regularly scheduled checkups.
Your shingles and gutters may have been damaged during the winter by snow and ice accumulations. Checking your roof’s condition is an important springtime task. Making necessary roof repairs early can help prevent costly repairs from water damage.
A sizable number of fires are caused each year by the accumulation of lint in clothes dryer vent hoses. As temperatures warm up in the spring, it’s a good idea to inspect and clean your dryer vent hose. You can do-it-yourself, or contact a professional.
Cold temperatures can cause seals and caulk to shrink. Inspect your windows and door seals for openings and drafts that will allow cool, air-conditioned air to escape during the warmer months to come.
Winter temperature extremes can cause buckling of the ground, resulting in cracks in your walkways and driveway. Take a look for cracks and fill them or have them repaired before they become larger.
Checking these items off your checklist may catch problems that will affect you throughout the rest of the year.
The long days of summer aren’t just for vacation, lounging at the pool, or grilling out on the deck. It’s also a great time to catch up on projects that you’ve been putting off. But be sure to budget time to check these items off of your seasonal home maintenance checklist.
If you’re not regularly mowing around your HVAC units, be sure to take the time to cut back any brush or vegetation around your units. Clear space around your units will allow them to operate more efficiently and prolong their lifespan.
If you have a wooden deck, summer is the perfect season to make sure that it’s in good shape. Inspect the surface for rotten wood or lose boards, and tap down loose nails and secure screws that have worked loose. It’s also the perfect time to clean the surface of the deck or restrain or paint the surface, too.
If you have vinyl or fiber-cement siding, summer is the perfect time to give it a good washing. This is particularly important if portions of your home are usually in shade or are near heavy woods. While you’re pressure washing, it’s a great time to visually inspect your siding for cracks or other signs of damage.
A lawn sprinkler system can help you get the green lawn of your dreams. But it also can waste a lot of money if there are leaks in the system. Now’s the perfect time to take a close look. This helpful guide has some great tips on how to detect leaks and other problems in your system.
A wet crawl space can cause mold and mildew to flourish in your home. A good time to check it out is after a hard rain. So after that summer thunderstorm, take a look underneath your home for water buildup or cracks in the foundation.
These summertime steps in your home maintenance checklist can help you detect some serious problems, and give you time to get them fixed before the colder times of the year.
Fall! Time for football, cooler temperatures, and raking leaves. Fall is also the perfect time to get on top of issues that could cause problems in the winter if you don’t keep up on your home maintenance checklist. Put these items on your to-do list and take care of them when autumn rolls around.
It’s time to think ahead and get your home’s HVAC system checked out before colder weather rolls in. Be sure to have qualified technicians do the work. It’s a smart idea to consider a home HVAC maintenance plan with a reputable company, like the ones we offer at Team Enoch.
If you have a fireplace and are looking ahead to warm nights around the fire, be sure to have your fireplace cleaned. Over time, creosote builds up in your chimney. If this catches on fire, you risk your home catching on fire, which occurs over 20,000 times a year in the United States. Contact a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney.
With fall comes falling leaves. Letting these leaves buildup in your gutters can create difficult to clean clogs that will catch snow and allow ice jams to buildup in the winter.
Even one or two missing shingles can allow water to infiltrate your roof. Visually inspect your roof for damaged shingles and flashing. Think it might be time for a new roof? Use this guide to help make a smart decision.
When’s the last time you drained your water heater? This simple piece of preventative maintenance helps reduce sediment and prevent rust in your water heater tank that can lead to catastrophic failure and flooding in your home. And if you’re considering putting a new water heater into your home, here’s a guide to the options you’ve got.
Low-lying areas adjacent to your home’s foundation allow water, snow, and ice to collect. This can cause water to leak into your foundation. Fill in low-lying areas to make a smooth grade that drains well. You may consider hard-scaping low-lying areas with stone to allow better drainage, too.
But performing these home maintenance chores in the fall, you can head off many potential problems caused by winter weather.
Even in a climate where mild winters are the norm, it’s not unusual to encounter a severe cold snap or a significant snow or ice storm. These tasks should be on your maintenance checklist so that you can prepare your home properly for the colder months of winter.
During prolonged cold snaps or after large snow and ice events, inspect your roof for ice dams. These are buildups of ice at the bottom edge of the roof. These can cause water to back up and seep underneath the shingles of your roof. Consult with a roofing contractor to fix any damage that may occur. If you’d like to know more about ice dams, check out this helpful guide from the National Weather Service.
Is your home closed up, but you still feel cold? Small leaks around windows and doors can make your home uncomfortable and increase your energy bills. Light an incense stick and slowly move it around the perimeter of your doors and windows. When air is leaking in, you’ll see the smoke blow away from the door or window instead of rising straight up.
If you have a crawl space with venting, it’s a good idea to leave these open for most of the year. But in the winter, closing them off can help keep your home warmer and save on energy costs.
If your home has a sump pump, this is a good time to test it. Sump pumps are usually most active during spring thaws, so making sure it’s working well during the winter is a smart way to plan ahead. Pour some water into the pump’s crock to check that it turns on automatically, and be sure to check the backup battery too.
Now you’ve completed your home maintenance checklist for the entire year. Hopefully, you’ve nipped serious problems in the bud and kept your home in great shape. This investment of time makes your home a healthier and more comfortable place for your family.
By following this complete, year-round maintenance checklist, you’ll ensure that your home is well-maintained in 2021, and in all the years to follow. Most of these jobs are simple and can be handled by the average homeowner. But some jobs require more expertise, and some regular servicing is best left to the professionals.
If you are located in Dallas / Fort Worth area and your home needs extra attention for its plumbing, electrical system, roof, or HVAC, there’s one smart place to call. At Team Enoch, we have the expertise and trained professionals you need to diagnose, fix, and correct problems, small or large, so that your home is always in good repair. And when you’re ready for improvements and upgrades, we’re ready to help as well!
Contact us for all your HVAC, roofing, plumbing, and electrical needs. Remember, estimates are always free!
