Home Improvement Tips

Saving home improvement expenses by holding a monthly maintanance. Do not wait until there is damage then make repairs.  When it comes to reducing repair and replacement costs for your property, there is no substitute for keeping up with your monthly maintenance. Many homeowners are familiar with the high costs that can accrue when something goes wrong unexpectedly.

Use our checklist pages to maintain your home and stay on top of the activities in and around it. Each page has a monthly “to do” list as well as a list of sales that typically occur each month. And for each month, there is a suggestion for a kit that can help organize little pieces of your life so you can find what you need to when you need it.

Monthly Home Maintenance: Fire Safety Devices
Small monthly maintenance for your safety devices is important, and doesn’t take much time, at all. Even a small amount of fire damage can be extremely costly to repair, so keeping up with your monthly maintenance on these devices is an investment in your property as well as in your family’s safety!
Fire extinguisher — Check that it’s fully charged and recharge if necessary, especially if you have used it recently. Be sure you have an adequate number located in kitchen, garage, and basement. Fire extinguisher placement is also important. If it is in an inconvenient spot, it won’t be much use when it is needed.

Smoke detector — Another one of those items that is easy to forget about, but can play a huge role in an emergency. Test your battery every month and replace if necessary.

Kitchen and Bathroom Monthly Maintenance
Sink and shower drains often go unnoticed until there’s a problem. Taking these steps every month will help your kitchen and bathroom drains running smoothly.
Sink and tub stoppers – Flush with hot water and baking soda.

Garbage disposal — Check safety valve and steam pressure gauge and replace if necessary; check water level gauge and add water if needed; drain water until clear of sediment.
HVAC Monthly Maintenance
Heating and cooling are two of the most pleasant of modern conveniences. Unfortunately, when something goes wrong, they can be very costly to repair (and very uncomfortable to go without). Make sure your monthly home maintenance includes a quick check of your heating and cooling systems!
Steam heating system — Test relief valve and replace if necessary; check pressure gauge and drain expansion tank if necessary.

Forced warm air heating system — Check blankets and replace if needed; check air flow; clean or repair unit if necessary.

Evaporative air conditioner — Clean or replace air filter; clean condenser or evaporator coils and condensate drain; remove snow and/or debris from outdoor portion of unit.

Heat pump — Clean or replace filter; clean condenser and evaporator coils and condensate drain.

By doing regular maintenance monthly on these points, it will save the cost of home care.  so you can less load your bill.