Maintaining a home can be a time-consuming and often expensive business, but not staying on top of repairs can actually be worse for us financially in the long run. A poorly maintained house will tend to lose value, rather than go up over time if essential home repairs and maintenance are not carried out.
Here are some essential home repairs that can wreak havoc in the long term if not completed.
Credit: flickr.com
The Gutters
House gutters are designed to do two things. The first is to siphon water away into drains. The second is to capture leaves and other debris.
The problem, however, is that gutter maintenance often takes a back seat because people either do not know how important it is or they don’t want to do the work.
One of the most important reasons gutters need to be able to transport water away from the house is so that the integrity of the brickwork is maintained. If a gutter is leaking down the side of a house, then there’s a risk that the lower floors, including the basement, can become damp. Once they’re damp, then you really do have an expensive repair job on your hands.
CAring for and repairing your guttering involves making sure they’re properly secured and not clogged. You may also want to ask yourself whether the gutters are large enough and correctly pitched. You can find more rain gutter repair details online.
Vacuum The Refrigerator Coils
Have you ever pulled out your fridge to see what’s lurking behind? You’ll usually find a big radiator. That radiator is designed to direct heat away from the fridge and keep it cool. However, the radiator itself can be a magnet for dust and grime. Over time, dusty radiators become less efficient and may put a strain on your fridge’s compressor.
In the long term, this could lead to a sorry end to your fridge, well before it’s time. So to save money, pull it out every few months and vacuum the back.
While you’re doing refrigerator maintenance, it’s a good time to consider installing a new refrigerator filter. Not only will this save money, but it will also reduce the amount of plastic waste (water bottles) your household is producing.
Smoke Alarms
If your smoke alarm
Your Kitchen Exhaust Hood
Inside your kitchen exhaust is a little filter that collects all the matter emitted from cooking. If you happen to cook a lot of meat or use a lot of oil in cooking, this filter will become clogged up quite quickly. To keep your kitchen exhaust in good working condition, it’s good to change or clean the hood filter every year.
When your kitchen exhaust doesn’t work, you risk making your kitchen damp. And being damp in turn increases the chances of undesirable mold growth: not something you want.
Check The Carbon Monoxide Detector
If you have an old boiler then there is a chance that it might release deadly carbon monoxide gas. Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector