Who doesn’t want their house to be in prime condition? Buying an affordable house becomes a greater challenge every year. Once you make such a big investment, you should make sure it doesn’t go down the drain. Making small home repairs on your own will surely save you from additional spending on your house.
While it may seem like a time-consuming task, it will hardly take up one day of your weekend. And, if you’re consistent, you can finish all the repairs in less than a month. However, certain repairs need to be done because of specific reasons. For example, raking leaves from the garden is a task for the end of autumn.
Remember that everything in this world requires time, so does your home. Don’t let small problems go unnoticed till they turn into issues you need a professional fixer to solve. It will cost you a lot of money, and once the original things in the house are replaced, you’ll start having problems more often.
Here mentioned below are seven mini repairs you ought to do at least once a year.
7 Essential Home Repairs
Make these essential home repairs (or inspections) at least once annually.
1 – Check and Fix the Heating System
Before winter arrives, you should check the heating system. If you find out that the heating system is giving out cold air, there’s nothing to worry about, change your thermostat. If it still doesn’t work, the next step is to check the air filters. This issue can also occur if the air filters are dirty because you didn’t change it for a long time, dust particles may have accumulated in the filters. It is not only the reason for the cold air but also a sudden increase in allergies.
Try to get this done at least a week before winters, so you can properly analyze the degree of the problem and see if some other solution may be required.
2 – Check and Fix the Paint
Due to the fact that most houses in the US have hard water, it often accumulates on rooftops and due to faulty pipes; it seeps into the walls and destroys the paint. Having a water softener can help make the chemical composition of the water soft. Thus, it is less destructive for the exterior paint. Apart from that, due to the change in weather conditions, outdoor paint can also get chipped.
Doors and windows are mostly affected if you don’t have a weather guard. Try using the precautionary measures to prevent paint problems in the first place. However, if the issues do arise, you should be ready to fix them.
3 – Check and Clean the Gutters
After autumn, you should check the gutters and get rid of all the leaves and twigs. Remember that they can result in standing water, which may later result in water spots on the roof. Once the water starts seeping through the walls, it can destroy your indoor paint and lead to an unpleasant odor.
Once the water starts seeping through, you won’t be able to fix it without the help of a professional. It will cost you a great fortune. So, before things get out of your hands, you should get the ladder out of the garage and start cleaning the gathered foliage.
4 – Check and Clean the Chimney
After the winters are gone, you should check your chimney and start cleaning. Due to the burning wood, lots of soot accumulates in the chimney and as the weather changes, the soot becomes a part of the air we breathe, which is very dangerous.
Rather than hiring a professional, you should put on your mask, take out the necessary tools from the garage and start cleaning. If the chimney is left unclean for more than a few months, it starts creating an unpleasant odor in the house. A friend of mine thought she has a pest infestation, it was when she called the exterminator, it turned out there wasn’t a dead animal after all, and it was because of the soot.
5 – Check the Pavement
Another easy repair that you must do is to have a look at the pavement and see if there are any cracks. While it might not seem like an issue, you should be concerned about the fact that when the weather changes, the cracks will get bigger and will further spread. It can be dangerous for children who ride their bikes around the neighborhood.
If you want to make sure that no one gets injured on your watch, then this is something you should take out time for.
6 – Check the Plumbing
While plumbing is meant to last for ages, it is a good practice to check your plumbing at least once a year so that nothing goes wrong. You should check the faucets and the joints. Quite often the joints have a small leak which is quite easy to miss. Try to open the faucets and then put your finger in front of the tap so you can determine if there is a leak.
7 – Check and Eliminate the Insect Problem
Insect infestations are also a problem you should deal with on your own. While it can occur more than once a year, if you make the necessary preventions, it might be a problem you won’t have to face for a long time. Try using chemical-free measures, as they are safer than pesticides one can buy from the supermarket. Once you’re done with the prevention measures, you’re going to be at peace for a long time.
RELATED CONTENT: Natural Mosquito Repellent Tips (Buzz Off Skeeters!)
Final Thoughts on Making Home Repairs
The above-mentioned tips for house maintenance should be done at least once a year and can be repeated if the need arises. Remember you should save as much money as you can on repairs. With easy access to the internet, every query that you can come up with is answered by a single click.
This makes house maintenance easier than ever before. Keep an eye out for small problems, and you won’t ever face a significant indoor issue. While these home repair tasks require hard work, they are sure to make you feel accomplished.
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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