Feast Your Eyes on Some Helpful Maintenance Pointers
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, you might be finalizing your menu or cleaning and preparing your home for guests. The holidays tend to put us in a cleaning frenzy because we want everything to look and feel perfect for special occasions.
But what about the rest of the year? The holidays are certainly important, but they’re not the only time your home can use some TLC. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re sharing 10 ways you can give thanks to your home. In doing so, you will keep your home at its best and maintain a higher home value should you ever choose to sell. More importantly, by prioritizing holiday electrical safety and maintaining your home throughout the year, you will keep you and your family safer through every season.
You Can Give Thanks to Your Home By…
- Making electrical, plumbing and HVAC maintenance priorities. If you don’t maintain your car, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks down. Well, the same goes for your HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. Annual maintenance helps prevent repairs and minimizes the strain placed on your equipment. The harder your equipment has to work, the more you’ll have to pay each month. By having a professional come in and correct any minor issues ahead of time, you can prolong the life of your equipment and get the most out of your investments.
- Scheduling home repairs right away. Whether there’s a problem with your plumbing, heating or electric, the last thing you want to do is delay service. Typically, the problem will become more serious and expensive to fix over time. Prevent unnecessary wear and tear in your home by calling a professional as soon as you notice a problem.
- Conducting safety checks throughout the year. Nothing can negatively impact your home’s value more than fire or water damage. Periodically inspect your home for any signs of water seepage, including water stains, mold growth, warped basement walls and unusual musty smells. Check the expiration dates on your fire extinguishers and ensure there are several extinguishers throughout your home. Lastly, test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors every month and replace the batteries every six months.
- Routinely cleaning the gutters. Clogged gutters can cause water to pool near your home, which can ultimately damage your home’s foundation. Keep water away from your home by cleaning out the gutters every spring and fall.
- Using your drains properly. Hair, food solids and grease should never go down the drain. Use hair catchers in your shower drains and teach children from a young age what should and shouldn’t go down the drain. By following best practices with your drains, you will prolong the life of your plumbing and help prevent repairs.
- Increasing your home’s overall efficiency. Home systems that have to work harder age faster. This is especially true when it comes to your heating, cooling and electrical equipment. Seal up any leaks that are causing warm or cool air to escape your home. Upgrade to energy-efficient LED lightbulbs and switch to energy-saving devices to lower your energy bills for the long term.
- Improving your indoor air quality. Having clean, safe air is about more than just your health. Dust, pet dander and other airborne pollutants decrease the overall efficiency of your HVAC equipment. Air that’s too humid can also result in mold growth, which can eat away at wallpaper, wood and cause significant structural damage when left untreated. Protect the structural integrity of your home by ensuring your indoor air quality is right where it should be.
- Planting trees farther away from your home. Over time, tree roots can infiltrate underground pipes and cause significant damage to your plumbing. If you’re going to be planting new trees, place them farther away from your home.
- Repairing doors and windows as needed. Whether it’s the window that won’t completely shut or the door that squeaks every time you open it, little things like these will age any home. Keep up with the maintenance of your windows and doors by painting, sealing, caulking and lubricating them as needed.
- Deep cleaning throughout the year. Don’t wait until the holidays to get your home in order. Letting things go for too long will cause your home to lose value and age faster. Get in the habit of deep cleaning your home at the start of every season. Doing so will not only make your home look better, but it will also allow you to catch any minor issues or imperfections that need to be repaired.
From Our Family to Yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
We want to take this opportunity to thank our customers, families and friends for their love and support. We are so thankful to have had a successful year full of many blessings. From our family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of joy and, of course, delicious food! Should you need us at any point during the holidays, whether it be to understand the differences between a boiler vs. a water heater or to take care of an electrical or heating repair, we’re here for you through it all.
To schedule service for your home, contact us online or call Miller’s Heating & Air Conditioning at 757.623.6600 today.