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5 Home Maintenance Hacks to keep your house humming

As a responsible homeowner, it’s important that you stay on top of things when it comes to the functionality and safety of your own home. In that respect, dealing with some home maintenance projects early will definitely prove to be worth it in the long run, even if you don’t think certain issues are too serious in the beginning. These five home maintenance hacks can actually prevent bigger and costlier damage in the future so don’t put them off for too long. 

Many thanks to Kevin from Plain Help for guest posting on the blog today! Read more about him and his blog at the end of this post.

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1. Make Sure to Fix/Replace Broken Roof Slates

An old, ornate window surrounded by gray slate roof shingles in need of home maintenance.

Checking the condition of your roof from time to time is crucial if you want to spot minor damage and deal with it before it turns into a huge problem. That said, if you notice that one or a couple of your slates are broken or otherwise faulty, make it a point to fix or replace them as soon as possible. 

This can definitely seem like a small issue that can wait but slates are all connected. Essentially, if you leave a couple of your slates broken and on their own, the chances are that the damage will spread on other slates, too. In the end, you could be looking at a complete roof renewal, which will cost you a lot more time and money than fixing just a couple of slates.

Furthermore, if there’s damage to your slates, moisture and wind can get into your home easier. This can cause additional problems with the walls, foundation, heating, mold, and so on. Therefore, you can avoid a plethora of different home issues just by taking the time to maintain and fix your slates accordingly. 

2. Investigate an Unusually High Water Bill

Getting a higher water bill than usual doesn’t necessarily have to be a red flag that there’s something wrong. But if you’re really convinced that the amount on the water bill is outrageously high, then it might be better to investigate the issue.

In case there’s a damage in your pipes and plumbing system, the internal water leak would definitely cause higher water bill but may be difficult to spot on your own. This is why your first course of action should be to call the water company so that they can do a professional check-up for you. After all, there’s no better home maintenance hack than to call for the professionals when you yourself can’t put your head around the problem. 

If you do have an internal water leak, fixing the issue as soon as possible would prevent other costly repairs as well such as damage to your walls and foundation, not to mention the entire plumbing system. 

3. Boost the Safety and Functionality of Your Kitchen

a safe, functional, and updated cream kitchen cabinets with green subway glass tiles, granite countertops and grey walls.

The kitchen is the place where you (or someone in your family) cooks, which also means that the chances of fire hazards and dangerous fumes are much bigger in this room. Of course, you shouldn’t live in fear of these unfortunate events, but it’s also better to be safe than sorry.

In that respect, boosting kitchen ductwork safety can turn out to be the perfect initial defense in case of a fire hazard and toxic fumes. Generally, this particular system will prevent the otherwise huge damage that can engulf your kitchen, and consequently, your entire home. 

In the same vein, make sure that you install fire and carbon monoxide alarms in your kitchen. As a part of your regular home maintenance plan, check the alarms frequently to see whether they’re fully operational, and replace the batteries on a regular basis (when changing your clocks in fall and spring is a great reminder). Hopefully, you’ll never have to hear those alarms go off, but they’ll let you know if there’s a smoke or fire danger immediately. 

4. Regularly Clean Your Dryer’s Exhaust Duct

What does your tumble dryer have to do with home maintenance hacks that will keep your house humming? Well, for starters, if you leave the dryer unattended while it’s working, you’re risking a fire hazard you won’t be able to stop before it spreads. This isn’t just true for your dryer, but other appliances such as your washing machine, too. 

But, a tumble dryer presents a bigger risk because of the typical homeowner’s neglect to keep the exhaust duct clean and dust-free. Ignoring the exhaust duct for too long will make the dryer use more electricity, and maybe even end up causing an electrical fire. Even if it doesn’t affect the rest of your home, why should you risk having to replace a perfectly good tumble dryer that saves your household so much time?

5. Upgrade the Caulk Where Necessary

Another home maintenance hack that can affect many aspects of your home’s functionality has everything to do with caulk. For instance, if you’re aware there are areas and crevices around your doors and walls that let the air in/out, you can simply upgrade the caulk around these to improve insulation and lower your electricity bill at the same time.

Your bathroom can benefit from a caulk upgrade as well, especially the areas around your bathtub/shower and sink. This is where the water can seep in and if you don’t want moisture damage or mold, it’s easier to upgrade the caulk than to replace entire sets of tiles and bathroom fixtures. 

Maintaining a happy and functional home that’s safe and comfortable for you and your family doesn’t have to be a tiresome task as long as you set up a plan for yourself. Divide the home maintenance projects into seasons and make a list of the essential check-ups that you can address every once in a while. 

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Guest Poster

Kevin Jefferson has gone through an extensive home renovation with his son, which he has both thoroughly enjoyed, and dreaded every morning. He is now the proud owner of half his dream house (the other half has been waiting for spring). You can read more of Kevin’s work on PlainHelp.

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5 Comments

  • Reply
    Molli Taylor
    January 1, 2020 at 11:12 AM

    i am buying my first home now so these tips are awesome

    • Reply
      Scottie
      January 1, 2020 at 1:07 PM

      I am so happy they were helpful for you! Good Luck with your home purchase- it’s very exciting!

  • Reply
    Sandra Watts
    January 2, 2020 at 2:12 PM

    Great tips and helpful too!

  • Reply
    MPaula
    January 12, 2020 at 5:19 AM

    Great tips about fire in the kitchen. I keep a fire extinguisher just outside the opening to the kitchen. like insurance, I hope I never need it.

    • Reply
      Scottie
      January 13, 2020 at 10:33 PM

      Great tip! We have one in the Airbnb, though not in our actual kitchen.. I should probably remedy that!

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