Home Care Tips

Air Conditioner

• Maintenance Description: Start twice during winter months; keep mechanical parts from sticking. Have unit professionally serviced annually.
• Frequency: Twice Per Year

Bathroom Caulk

• Maintenance Description: Seal joints that are subject to being wetted; prevent leaks, dry rot, mold and mildew. Remove and replace caulking as needed.
• Frequency: Twice per year

Decks & Deck Drains

• Maintenance Description: Inspect deck surfaces for cracks in coating, loose boards and surface sealers. Minor maintenance and repairs extend deck life. Check and clean drains monthly during rainy season to prevent drains from backing up and flooding the deck.
• Frequency: Yearly

Door – Sliding & Hinged

• Maintenance Description: Vacuum racks and lubricate hinges and latches to keep operating parts smooth.
• Frequency: Monthly/Yearly

Drainage – Exterior

• Maintenance Description: Make sure debris is removed from ditches and swales. Maintain positive drainage away from buildings to keep drains from backing up and flooding during the rainy season.
• Frequency: Yearly

Dryer Vents

• Maintenance Description: If equipped with a lint trap behind the dryer, check and clean.
• Frequency: Monthly

Drywall (Cracks & Nail Pops)

• Maintenance Description: Set nails, caulk and paint. Improves appearance of finished interior wall surfaces.
• Frequency: Yearly

 Electric (GFCI Test)

• Maintenance Description: Test GFCI/ARC Fault circuits for safety of electrical circuits.
• Frequency: Monthly

Fences

• Maintenance Description: 
  • Wood: Check yearly; paint every 2 years to prolong useful life and maintain appearance.  Frequency: Twice per year
  • Wrought Iron: Check regularly; paint yearly to prolong useful life. Frequency: Yearly

Furnace Filter Change

• Maintenance Description: Change or clean regularly to help remove dust and pollen from interior air and improve furnace efficiency.
• Frequency: Twice per year

Garbage Door System

• Maintenance Description: Lubricate to promote smoother, less noisy operation; extends system life.
• Frequency: Twice per year

Garbage Disposer

• Maintenance Description: Fill with ice and operate. Cleans and sharpens.
• Frequency: Monthly

Grounds

• Maintenance Description: Inspect for pavement breaks, heaving sidewalks from tree roots, dry rot at decks and blockage of drainage system. Avoids more expensive repair costs.
• Frequency: Yearly

Grout

• Maintenance Description: Seal grout with silicone based sealer; cracked grout should be caulked with a caulk specially made for filling grout to improve appearance and prevent leaks.
• Frequency: Check regularly & Re-caulk yearly

Gutters & Downspouts

• Maintenance Description: Check before rainy season and monthly during rainy season to prevent overflow onto walls, prevent eave leaks and extend gutter life.
• Frequency: Monthly during rainy season.

Insect Control

• Maintenance Description: Detected and treated yearly will prevent structural damage; controls annoying pests. If found, treat monthly.
• Frequency: Yearly

Irrigation Sprinklers

• Maintenance Description: Direct water spray properly. Eliminates excess watering, staining of exterior walls and dry rot of structures.
• Frequency: Twice per year

Paint (Interior)

• Maintenance Description: 
  • Flat: Maintain for appearance. Repaint as necessary or after 10 years.
  • Enamel: Maintain for appearance. Repaint as necessary or after 10 years.
• Frequency: Every 10 years

Paint Exterior

• Maintenance Description:
  • Stucco: Repainting should be done every 5 to 10 years.
  • Overhangs & sheetmetal: Repaint every 5 years or as necessary to maintain.
  • Facia/Plantons: Repaint every 3-4 years to maintain appearance.
  • Stained doors: Should be re-finished every 6 months or as needed to maintain.

Roof

• Maintenance Description:
  • Detect and correct conditions that can lead to leaks and premature roof replacement. Frequency: Yearly
  • Have roof professionally inspected every 5 years or if any leakes occur. Frequency: Every 5 Years

Water Heater

• Maintenance Description: To prolong life of water heater, accumulated sediment should be removed from tank.  Extends water heater life; provides more efficient operation; uses less energy.
• Frequency: Yearly

Tankless Water Heater

• Maintenance Description: As recommended by manufacturer.

Weather Proofing

• Maintenance Description: Check yearly and replace when necessary. Reseal thresholds.
• Frequency: Yearly

Windows (Tracks & Weep Holes)

• Maintenance Description:
  • Clean tracks to keep windows sliding freely.  Frequency: Monthly
  • Clean weep holes to prevent leaks.  Frequency: Monthly
  • Inspect for broken window seals on dual-pane windows.  Frequency: Monthly

Sink Trap Cleaning

• Maintenance Description: Avoids backups and plugged drains; promotes sanitation. Use only cleaners recommended by manufacturer.
• Frequency: 4 Times per Year

Smoke/CO₂ Detectors

• Maintenance Description: Test detectors once a month, using the test button on the detector. Change batteries on a regular basis to keep detectors operating during power failures.
• Frequency: Monthly

Trim & Siding

• Maintenance Description: Caulk and paint keeps system water tight; improves appearance, extends major maintenance periods; reduces chances of mold and mildew.
• Frequency: Yearly