Homeowners are always looking for ways to save money, and some of those savings come from keeping an eye on the little things around the house. One way to do that is to make sure you’re doing regular inspections of your property. Here are five basic tasks that every homeowner needs to know how to perform.
1. Drain Pipes
If there’s a leaky pipe under your sink, crawlspace, or roof, you’ll want to have a West Chester plumber check it immediately. Even if you don’t notice water damage yourself, you could see signs of mold growth or leaks in your basement. If your pipes aren’t draining properly, you could put your health at risk and attract pests like rodents, termites, and other invasive pests in search of water.
2. Inspect Your Roof
Roofs can look great, but they often require attention throughout the year. You should have roofers in Dayton Oh inspect your roof annually for cracks, holes, or loose shingles. Look for areas where snow accumulates too much, which could lead to ice dams. And if you’ve had hail damage, you’ll want to find out what repairs are needed.
3. Clean Out Gutters
Gutters collect debris, including tree branches, leaves, and even insects. They also prevent rainwater from running off into storm drains and onto the ground. If you haven’t cleaned out your gutters in a while, now is the time. It’s also a good idea to inspect your gutters to see if any repairs are needed. If so, get them taken care of before the rainy season.
4. Check For Pests
Pest control is a very important part of any home maintenance. If you have pests in your house, it can be very annoying and even dangerous for the health of yourself and your family. You should always try to keep them out of your house as much as possible by inspecting your property for things like wood-to-soil contact, water accumulation, and any holes larger than the size of a quarter. Rodents can enter through very small holes, termites enter anywhere there’s wood-to-soil contact, and ants can enter through any cracks and crevices. Inspecting for entry points before you have a problem is key to keeping your property safe.
5. Clean Your HVAC Units
HVAC units are an important part of your home. They keep you comfortable and safe, but they can also be a source of allergens that cause asthma attacks. If you have allergies or asthma, it’s important to clean your air conditioning unit regularly. This will help reduce the amount of dust and pollen in your home. It will also make sure that your HVAC unit functions properly when you need it to. It’s a good idea to inspect your unit yearly to ensure there are no clogs, dirty filters, dirty condenser coils, loose wires, etc. You should also check your filters and duct work to ensure they’re not filled with dust and pollen since this can trigger allergies and asthma.
There are other things to check around your property including dryer vents, inspecting your attic for rodents, and replacing batteries on smoke detectors to name a few. But the 5 tips above are a starting point and something you should be checking each year.
