HouseSmarts "Home Maintenance Checklist" Episode 143

home sweet home your humble abode you know day in and day out we go about our lives often not thinking about the fact that while owning a home requires a certain amount of diligence when it comes to upkeep now maybe it will help if we explain just how the home works it's something I like to call the 60 minute inspection now don't worry we're not gonna take 60 minutes to explain it because really the shows only a half an hour but you don't need to be a home inspector to follow along come with me let's start with your exterior from the top to the bottom your roof probably gets the most wear and tear outside all the more reason to inspect it regularly for shingle integrity and signs of a leak check the flashing and any other seams that meet the house and don't forget those gutters drawing water away from the roof and the structure is key to stain dry lastly every year thousands of people fall off ladders and wind up in the emergency room so if you're not comfortable you should hire a licensed roofing contractor look at your home's foundation for any signs of poor drainage or structural issues here's a template for on your slicker and take a walk around the perimeter during a rainstorm to see how the water behaves now you can't just look at the foundation from the outside you need to come on the inside as well to see what's going on below great this home has a basement so you get a clear view of the walls take a look at that small hairline crack now that's not a real structural issue but you got to keep an eye on it to make sure that water doesn't come in chances are if you have a basement you have some pumps or ejector pumps like this one here these pumps should be checked out and the pits should be cleaned on an annual basis and remember that all pumps fail so every seven years those pumps and switches should be changed out the dryer vent needs to be cleaned annually at the hardware store you can buy a kit with a flexible brush that'll make this job a little easier you have to take the hose apart from the back of the dryer clean that whole area up through the pipe using a vacuum cleaner and then the vent on the outside oh and your washing machine those hot and cold water hoses those should be replaced every three to five years or they could potentially burst you got to change that filter on your forced air unit on a regular basis sometimes monthly depending on the type that you use because it's going to grab all that particulate in the air I'm a fan of the pleated filters now furnaces themselves or boilers should be inspected and cleaned by a licensed HVAC contractor on an annual basis that way you can ensure that it's running at peak efficiency and safely all right let's talk about your fireplace this is something you definitely have to pay attention to now this is a gas fireplace it's really easy to use you turn the gas on you light it and you go but it still needs to be cleaned and inspected by a professional now if this is something you use all the time it should be done every two to three years but if it's a wood-burning fireplace and you're burning more than six to eight fires annually that's something you should do once a year it needs to be cleaned and inspected to make sure that its operating safe and efficiently in the kitchen clean the coils under your refrigerator at least once a year take the Topkick cover off with a couple of screws then take a duster like this and work underneath there to clean those coils so that you boost the efficiency and you see all that debris you take out of there it's gonna make this system run so much better now your dishwasher you should clean that twice a year put it on the highest setting and let it run halfway through the cycle open it up and then pour in a calcium and lime and Russ cleaner to complete the cycle so that your dishwasher works more efficiently and underneath the sink you're probably banging into this pipe all the time tighten those connections so they're not leaking and causing a larger problem and speaking of tightening use a screwdriver and tighten up those handles on the face of all the cabinets that way everything works so much better chances are you have a programmable thermostat that runs off of a couple of double-a batteries it's a good idea to swap these out on an annual basis to make sure that it operates correctly and hopefully you have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home now we all know that you should be changing these batteries twice a year but did you know that these devices have a life cycle every five to seven years they should be replaced now we use our bathrooms a lot and this is a breeding ground for mildew and mold and if you have a tile shower like this you want to pay attention to the caulking and the grout when you're in there taking a shower take a good close look if you see cracking and separation in the grout that can mean that water is getting back behind there and it should be touched up with new grout and remember that on the vertical seams and where the tile meets the floor that should all be cocked not grouted because there's movement there and you want to make sure you have a nice tight seal a whirlwind tour I know but that's just like real life right now seriously if you need a refresher course just go to our website how Smart's tv.com and enter checklist in the search engine now you can prioritize which areas to address first and which might need the aid of a professional oh and also check out our fix it in 15 minutes because those segments are all about maintaining your home

Channel: HouseSmartsTV

Views: 38,543

Keywords: Lou Manfredini, checklist, inspect, maintain, gutters, leak, ladder, roof, flashing, seams, crack, foundation, drainage, basement, pump, washing, vent, hose, dryer, HVAC, heating, ventilation, cool, boiler, furnace, contractor, gas, fireplace, clean, wood, kitchen, fridge, refrigerator, coil, dishwasher, plumbing, cabinets, fan, hardware, replace, thermostat, batteries, smoke, detector, carbon, bathrooms, grout, water, shower, tile, caulk, repair, toilet, clog, drain, sink

Id: MiaXlJFNq_w

Length: 5min 26sec (326 seconds)

Published: Fri May 01 2015