Do YOU provide Preventive Maintenance for YOUR home?
Topic: Home Maintenance

Prevention Is The Best Approach

Although we've heard it many times, nothing could be truer than the old cliche "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Preventive maintenance is the best way to keep your house in great shape. It also reduces the risk of unexpected repairs and improves the odds of selling your house at fair market value, when the time comes.   Remember to conduct regular preventive maintenance checks to extend the longevity of your home and the installed systems and components.

REGULAR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TASKS

EVERY MONTH :

• Check that fire extinguisher(s) are fully charged. Re-charge if necessary.
• Examine heating/cooling air filters and replace or clean as necessary.
• Inspect and clean humidifiers and electronic air cleaners.
• If the house has hot water heating, bleed radiator valves.
• Clean gutters and downspouts. Ensure that downspouts are secure, and that the discharge of the downspouts is appropriate. Remove debris from window wells.
• Carefully inspect the condition of shower enclosures. Repair or replace deteriorated grout and caulk. Ensure that water is not escaping the enclosure during showering. Check below all plumbing fixtures for evidence of leakage.
• Repair or replace leaking faucets or shower heads.
• Secure loose toilets, or repair flush mechanisms that become troublesome.

 

SPRING & FALL:

• Examine the roof for evidence of damage to roof coverings, flashings and chimneys.
• Look in the attic (if accessible) to ensure that roof vents are not obstructed. Check for evidence of leakage, condensation or vermin activity. Level out insulation if needed.
• Trim back tree branches and shrubs to ensure that they are not in contact with the house.
• Inspect the exterior walls and foundation for evidence of damage, cracking or movement. Watch for bird nests or other vermin or insect activity.
• Survey the basement and/or crawl space walls for evidence of moisture seepage.
• Look at overhead wires coming to the house. They should be secure and clear of trees or other obstructions.
• Ensure that the grade of the land around the house encourages water to flow away from the foundation.
• Inspect all driveways, walkways, decks, porches, and landscape components for evidence of deterioration, movement or safety hazards.
• Clean windows and test their operation. Improve caulking and weather-stripping as necessary. Watch for evidence of rot in wood window frames. Paint and repair window sills and frames as necessary.
• Test all ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) devices, as identified in the inspection report.
• Shut off isolating valves for exterior hose bibs in the fall, if below freezing temperatures are anticipated.
• Test the Temperature and Pressure Relief (TPR) Valve on water heaters.
• Inspect for evidence of wood boring insect activity. Eliminate any wood/soil contact around the perimeter of the home.
• Test the overhead garage door opener, to ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is responding properly. Clean and lubricate hinges, rollers and tracks on overhead doors.
• Replace or clean exhaust hood filters.
• Clean, inspect and/or service all appliances as per the manufacturer's recommendations.

 

ANNUALLY:

• Replace smoke detector batteries.
• Have the heating, cooling and water heater systems cleaned and serviced.
• Have chimneys inspected and cleaned. Ensure that rain caps and vermin screens are secure.
• Examine the electrical panels, wiring and electrical components for evidence of overheating. Ensure that all components are secure. Flip the breakers on and off to ensure that they are not sticky.
• If the house utilizes a well, check and service the pump and holding tank. Have the water quality tested. If the property has a septic system, have the tank inspected (and pumped as needed).
• If your home is in an area prone to wood destroying insects (termites, carpenter ants, etc.), have the home inspected by a licensed specialist. Preventive treatments may be recommended in some cases.

 

How long will "it" LAST??
Topic: Home Maintenance

Early on, I had agents complaining about my statements regarding home appliances (water heaters, furnaces, AC, etc) being at their end of design or useful life.  

Well, I think it's important for people to know how old these things are and how much longer they could reasonably expect them to last.  Apparently my clients felt it was important too as they kept asking me how much longer "it" would last or how old "it" was.

As support for my statements, I've been passing out the Freddie Mac "Schedule of Normal Appliance Life" chart from 1995 as part of my report support documents.  It's the newest I could find at the time I developed it.

Lately I wondered if anyone else had anything newer I could provide my customers as support for my statement.

That was a week or so ago.  Having an easy day today and running back into that post and finding no newer answer got me thinking, "Hey, I have a few minutes.  I can do my own research."

Well, here's the answer.

The NAHB, sponsored by Bank of America Home Equity published a NEW STUDY in 2007 based on the results of a 2006 survey.  Here's the introduction to the Study.

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THE STUDY

In the summer of 2006, NAHB conducted a comprehensive telephone survey of manufacturers, trade associations and researchers to develop information about the longevity of housing components.  Many of the people interviewed emphasized that the life expectancy of housing components is greatly affected by the quality of maintenance. They also noted that changing consumer preferences can result in products being replaced long before -- or after -- the end of their practical life expectancy.
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I've had personal experience with the "changing consumer preferences can result in products being replaced long before the end of their practical life expectancy."  The decorator of my house (yeah, you know who it is) decided that the two year old dishwasher of the house we bought when we moved to Kentucky was the wrong "color" for the kitchen as she wanted to paint it.  Old dishwasher to the Habitat for Humanity "ReStore".  New dishwasher, of the right color, in. 

She's happy and, if she's happy, so am I.  If she's not happy.... well, I'm sure most of you know the rest of that story.

Anyway, the chart is not easily copied to put here and NAHB should get something out of it so here's the link where you can download the 2007 study for yourself from the NAHB website.

          

National Association of Home Builders / Bank of America Home Equity

Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components

Just remember (as the foot note to the study says)

"This report should be used as a general guideline only."

We've all seen water heaters, furnaces, etc that are well beyond their life expectancy functioning just fine, (though probably not as energy efficient as newer models).  We've also seen those newer models fail in just a couple of years.

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