Annual Home Care is essential to maximizing the life of finishes and equipment that are the foundation of your home.   Simple tasks are sometimes the most important and the most frequently overlooked.   We offer a few critical suggestions below to help you.   Review your Homeowner’s insurance policy for replacement valuation.  Cost of construction seems to rise annually.  Also, make sure your policy includes Code Upgrades.

• Create, purchase or refill your disaster preparedness kit (you can go on line for a list of critical items to include).
• If you have infrequently used guest rooms make sure you flush toilets and run water in showers and sinks periodically to prevent particle ‘build-up’ and damage to plumbing.
• Refrigerators should be serviced and refrigerator coils vacuumed.  The fridge can use up to 15% of your home’s energy; keeping coils clean allow it to operate efficiently and most effectively.
• Clean your range hood filters.
• Don’t forget to have your dryer vent lines cleaned and cleared – clogging can cause a fire
• Check the main electrical panel.  All breakers should be identified.  If your panel is warm call your electrician immediately and make sure the area around the panel is keep clear of boxes or other obstructions which can be a source of fire.
• Test your garage door auto-reverse safety feature.  It’s a good idea to have your garage door serviced every few years and mechanical parts lubricated to extend the life of the system.
• Have your air conditioning system serviced annually; coils should be cleaned to maintain efficiency and extend the unit’s life, filters replaced and fluid levels should be checked too.
• Check your irrigation system; make sure it’s running the desired time and frequency and make sure the sprinklers are not hitting the house (a frequent source of deterioration to exterior finishes and can cause leaks).  Make sure your irrigation drains are clear of debris so that water drains rather than sit against the house.
• Check your roof drains periodically – clogged drains can lead to leaks

TIPS

• If you haven’t converted incandescent lights to LEDs you should – energy savings is tremendous
• Cleaning your microwave:  Cut a lemon in half and put it in a microwave-safe dish filled with water.  Zap it until it boils.  Let it steam for a few minutes before opening.  Wipe clean with less effort