| The following is a document that we provide to our customers which contains information on maintaining your new home. Please feel free to print this document for your own use.
 Upon Taking Ownership
After taking possession of a new home, there are some maintenance and safety issues that should be addressed immediately. The following checklist should help you undertake these improvements:
-Change the locks on all exterior entrances, for improved security.
-Check that all windows and doors are secure. Improve window hardware as necessary. Security rods can be added to sliding windows and doors. Consideration could also be given to a security system.
-Install smoke detectors on each level of the home. Ensure that there is a smoke detector outside all sleeping areas. Replace batteries on any existing smoke detectors and test them. Make a note to replace batteries again in one year.
-Create a plan of action in the event of a fire in your home. Ensure that there is an operable window or door in every room of the house. Consult with your local fire department regarding fire safety issues and what to do in the event of fire.
-Examine driveways and walkways for trip hazards. Undertake repairs where necessary.
-Examine the interior of the home for trip hazards. Loose or torn carpeting and flooring should be repaired.
-Undertake improvements to all stairways, decks, porches and landings where there is a risk of falling or stumbling.
-Review your home inspection report for any items that require immediate improvement or further investigation. Address these areas as required.
-Install rain caps and vermin screens on all chimney flues, as necessary.
-Investigate the location of the main shut-offs for the plumbing, heating and electrical systems. If you attended the home inspection, these items would have been pointed out to you.
Regular Maintenance
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 and 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 utilises 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. Preventative treatments may be recommended in some cases.
Prevention Is The Best Approach
Although we've heard it many times, nothing could be more true than the old cliché "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Preventative 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. Please feel free to contact our office should you have any questions regarding the operation or maintenance of your home. Enjoy your home!
Yearly Maintenance Schedule for Homeowners
Fall
Composition Roofs
. Apply zinc-based moss powder to keep moss from growing on roof
Brick Chimneys
. Check for loose mortar joints and loose bricks. These mortar joints can be tuck-pointed by you if you are comfortable with mortar use or by someone else if you are not.
. Check the condition of your chimney cap. This is a flat piece of concrete or metal that seals the top of your chimney chase closed from the elements.
If it is a one piece concrete cap, check to make sure the outer edges of the cap overhang the top outside edges of the top row of bricks. Also, make sure it has no cracks in the concrete and that it seals tightly where it butts up against your chimney flues (the "pipes" that carry smoke, carbon monoxide, etc.). Seal cracks in the cap with concrete crack filler. Seal any openings against flues with exterior caulk. If the cap is in bad shape, you may need a new one poured.
If the cap is metal, check for rust and for a tight seal where flues pass through the cap. For rust, clean the affected area with a wire brush, wipe the rust away with a rag, and apply a spray-on rust inhibitor (like Rustoleum) to seal the metal. When you buy rust inhibitors, the color of the cap on the spray can will be the color the cap ends up.
. Install a rain cap if you don't have one. This will keep birds, etc. out of your chimney flues and it will keep rain from rusting and damaging your metal damper if you have one in use.
Metal Chimneys
. Check for a good seal where the chimney passes through the roof. If its base is sealed with mastic or tar (black substance), check for openings. Seal any found.
. Check for any rust. If found, clean the affected area with a wire brush, wipe the rust away with a rag, and apply a spray-on rust inhibitor (like Rustoleum) to seal the metal. When you buy rust inhibitors, the color of the cap on the spray can will be the color the cap ends up. These pipes have two walls. If the outer wall is rusted through, have an Heating and Air Conditioning company come replace it.
. Make sure the bonnet or top of the chimney is secure and cannot come off in the wind. If it is loose, secured it using sheet metal screws.
Gutters
. Clean gutters out completely. Pick out large objects / organic matter (pine cones, braches, etc.). Wash the remainder down your downspouts using a garden hose (not a pressure washer).
. If rust is visible after gutters are clean and dry apply a spray on rust inhibitor
. Check all gutter joints, especially those at 90-degree corners, for sealed caulk. Seal any spots that have come open
. Check anchor nails at rafter tails for stability.
. Make sure all downspout sections are still connected to each other and that anchor brackets have not pulled loose from the home's siding.
. Make sure that splash-blocks, if used, are set to catch water as it comes out of downspouts and angled at least ¼-inch per foot of travel downhill away from the home to properly route water away from the home's foundation.
Siding
. Check lap siding (named because each board overlaps the board underneath it as siding goes towards the ground) for any splits, loose nails, etc. Put loose nails back with a hammer, and then caulk the nail heads shut.
. Check panel siding (sold in 4 x 8 foot panels) for proper seals where two panels meet each other.
. Make sure there is a 6-inch gap between soil and the bottom edge of the lowest siding board or wood trim. This prevents wood rot and insect damage.
Trim
. Re-secure any loose trim pieces so winter winds cannot damage them or remove them from the home.
Exterior Caulking
. Check caulk joints where siding boards meet each other and where siding boards meet windows. Re-caulk any areas that have come open. Remove old caulk before doing so.
Hose Bibs
. Cover your hose bibs with insulated covers. This not only can keep your water lines from freezing up in a severe winter cold snap, it can keep the hose bib shut-off valve from being damaged. This damage commonly leads to a dripping or leaking hose bib that cannot be shut off.
Winter
Interior Grout Lines and Caulk Joints
. Check all grout lines at countertops and tub and shower surrounds to make sure they are sealed and are not cracked. Re-grout where necessary. It is very common for new construction builders to not apply grout sealer over grout lines, a recipe for cracked grout lines and water intrusion down the road.
. Re-caulk any caulk joints that have opened up or just where the caulk is worn, growing mold, etc.
GFCI Outlets
. Use the test and re-set button to test your GFCI outlets. Better yet, for usually less than $10 you can buy a GFCI tester and make sure all GFCI's in your home, including those that do not have test and re-set buttons, work properly. Any outlets that do not re-set should be replaced. You are supposed to trip and re-set all GFCI's with buttons monthly.
Interior Sinks
. Run the sinks with the sink stoppers seated so the sink fills. Let it go until it is flowing water through the overflow drain. Open the sink cabinet and turn on a flashlight to check for leaks. Then let the stopper come up and watch for leaks and for proper whirlpool action as the water drains. If leaks are found, repair them. If the sink will not drain properly, use liquid drain cleaner to open them.
. Check bathtub for whirlpool drain action. If the tub will not drain properly, use liquid drain cleaner to open the drain.
. Run all showerheads and look for leaks at the showerhead threads. If there are any, unscrew the showerhead and put plumber's tape on it and put the showerhead on again securely.
Summer
Wood shake roofs
. Pressure washing of mildew from shakes if this hasn't been done in the last 3-5 years
. Application of anti-fungal spray if this hasn't been done in the last 3-5 years
. Replacement of any split or rotten shakes at roof fields and ridge-caps.
. Check ridge-caps for stability and re-secure if loose.
Driveways, Patios, and Service Walks
. Check for cracks. Those less than ¼-inch can be sealed using concrete crack filler. Pressure-wash the crack free of all debris and let it dry. Then apply concrete crack filler to the crack. Overfill it slightly, as the filler will suck back into the crack slightly as it cures. This will last 3-4 years. For a more permanent fix, and for all cracks bigger than ¼-inch wide, use one of the mortar mixes you can mix up in a bucket or wheelbarrow and apply with a trowel.
. If concrete has moved and trip hazards have developed you have several options. You can have a company mud-jack settled concrete back up into place. They put a nozzle under the dropped slab and pump liquid mortar and sometimes limestone under the slab to hydraulically raise it back up. Another option for trip hazards is to mark them with bright yellow paint so they eye is drawn to them and feet can adjust to them.
. Check for trees that have roots that are heaving or breaking up your patio, driveway, or service walk. Consider having them removed if they are doing this type of damage.
Decks
. Nothing is more useful than a deck. Nothing requires more maintenance. The deck should be checked every summer for a proper seal of preservative, paint, or stain to wood surfaces. This includes handrails, balusters (the vertical members of your railing system) and the decking boards themselves. Re-stain, paint, or preserve as needed. No wood grain should be open to the weather. For heavy grain, sand it flat and then apply your covering.
. Re-secure any screws or nails that have backed out.
. Re-secure any balusters or posts that have come loose at their bases.
. Check the bolts, and every deck should be bolted, at the ledger boards the deck was built off of. Tighten any bolt heads that have come loose.
Plants, Trees, and Shrubs
. Trim back any that are touching the home. Keep trimming them every few weeks throughout the summer as they will grow quickly.
Hot Water Tank
. Check the seismic restraints to make sure their bolts are secure where they enter the wall or bolt to studs or concrete. If you do not have the newer seismic restraints which are two metal bands that wrap around the tank, then please get the install kit at any hardware store and install them.
. Drain the tank by hooking a hose up to the drain spigot at the bottom of the tank and aiming that hose either into a bathtub or down a driveway. Open the valve and let about 5 gallons of water out. Let it flow for 2-3 minutes then shut the valve handle and take the hose off. BE CAREFUL! THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE TANK CAN BE IN EXCESS OF 130 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND CAN CAUSE BAD BURNS!
Forced Air Furnace
. Have the furnace serviced by a licensed Heating and Air Conditioning company. Make sure they have a warranty and that they fill out a service sticker and leave it on the front or side of the furnace. This should be done every two years if you have a mid-efficiency furnace (it will have a metal exhaust flue) or every year if you have a high efficiency furnace (it will have a PVC, or plastic, exhaust flue).
. On the years you are not having the furnace serviced, check and replaced the furnace filter as needed.
. If you have electrostatic (electronic) furnace filters, clean them. They can be run through the dishwasher or they can be submerged in a bathtub that has been filled with hot water and liquid dishwashing soap that cuts grease. MAKE SURE THESE FILTERS ARE TOTALLY DRY BEFORE YOU PUT THEM BACK IN YOUR FURNACE! If you do not, the water can start to rust the inside of your furnace.
. If you have a simple filter system and you are wanting more filtering, consider the small electrostatic filters that are put underneath the heat registers in rooms. Simply pull the heat register up out of its opening, thread the filter behind the louvers of the heat register, and put the register back in place. Be warned, however, that if you put filters at each register you can void your furnace warranty. Put filters in the rooms you use the most and leave others unfiltered. All the air returns to the furnace through the same cold air return, so all the air will get filtered eventually.
Hose Bibs
. Make sure your hose bib flange mounting screws are tight. In the summer hose bibs get used a lot more and these screws can loosen up.
Foundation
. Look for foundation cracks. Those less than ¼-inch can and should be sealed using concrete crack filler. Those larger should be sealed with mortar. If they are larger than ¼-inch or if there is any out of plane movement with the two pieces of concrete on opposite sides of the crack, you should have a licensed foundation contractor evaluate your foundation for possible repairs.
Spring
Air Conditioners
. Have the air conditioner serviced prior to use by a licensed heating and air conditioning company.
Composition Roofs
. Apply zinc-based moss powder to keep moss from growing on roof
Wood Burning Fireplaces
. Clean the firebox of all soot and ash.
. Check the damper for proper and full range of motion operation
. Check with a flashlight for creosote buildup. It is shiny and looks sticky. It is flammable. Seeing any creosote means you should call a licensed chimney sweep and have the chimney flue cleaned.
. Make sure all screens, doors, etc. close properly.
Check for Water Leaks
. Shut off all water in the home. Go to the street and check the water meter. It should not be moving at all. If it is, find the leak (don't forget to look in the crawlspace) and fix it or have it fixed.
Check for Gas Leaks
. Shut off all gas appliances. This means shutting off pilot lights at any gas fireplace and gas hot water heaters. Now go look at the gas meter. If it is turning at all, you have a gas leak. Call the gas company and tell them what you have found. They should send someone out to fix the leak
We provide home, pest, and ancillary inspection services throughout King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap and adjoining counties. |
