With summer coming to a close, and school starting, September is a great time to focus on home maintenance, making sure your home is in its best condition and operating in a fully functional capacity.

The following is a basic Home Maintenance Checklist that can be revisited with every change of season, and hopefully keep things like water, fire, and mold damage out of your home.

• Schedule HVAC maintenance: Fall is a good time to have your HVAC system checked, especially after a super hot summer. If you have an HVAC tune-up, you’ll have your filters replaced. However, replacing your filters for a central air cooling system isn’t a one time job. You should be replacing the filters every one to three months as you use the HVAC system.
• Inspect for leaks: Look for missing or loose shingles and soft spots on the roof to prevent leaks and avoid water and/ or mold damage. Also, check your ceilings, under sinks, and around toilets for signs of leaks, broken pipes, and water or mold damage.
• Clean gutters: Gutters full of dirt, leaves, and other debris can cause flooding. This water can back up to your roof and cause wood rot and leaks, or it could seep into your foundation, all resulting in water and/ or mold damage. Take a day to clear out your gutters to avoid these problems.
• Check water flow from down spouts: After your gutters are clean, pour water through your downspouts to make sure the water is running away from your home instead of pooling around the foundation. Pooled water can leak into your home’s foundation and window wells, causing flooding and water damage.
• Test smoke detectors: Push the “test” button to make sure all smoke detectors (and carbon monoxide monitors) are working. Replace the batteries if they aren’t functioning properly. Having operational smoke detectors is essential for safety and avoiding  fire damage.

Regular home maintenance, ie. at least seasonal checks, save homeowners from most large, expensive repairs that can often creep up after extended periods of neglect. Hopefully, the above checklist helps you get your property into tip top shape. But if you find water, fire, mold or even biohazard damage instead, do not hesitate to contact Joe Taylor Restoration. We are ready to help with all property emergencies both big and small, and restore your property to its pre-loss condition.

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