Thefirstthingyouneedtodoistomakealistofimportanttelephonenumbersthatyoumayneedtohelpmaintainyourhome.Onceyouhave

readthisHomeMaintenanceGuide,besuretokeepitnearthephonesoyouwillknowwhereitisincaseofemergencies.

FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911

MYADDRESS

MYPHONE

INCASEOFEMERGENCY,CALL

FIRE, POLICE, EMERGENCY NUMBERS

FIREDEPARTMENT

POLICEDEPARTMENT

SHERIFF’SDEPARTMENT

HOSPITALS

INSURANCECOMPANY

UTILITIES’ EMERGENCY NUMBERS

ELECTRICALPOWERCOMPANY

GASCOMPANY

WATERDEPARTMENT

SEWERDEPARTMENT

STREETDEPARTMENT

PHONECOMPANY

HEATINGOILSUPPLIER

GARBAGESERVICEl l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l

1Important Phone Numbers

REPAIR SERVICE EMERGENCY NUMBERS

HEATINGSERVICE

AIR-CONDITIONINGSERVICE

TELEPHONEREPAIRSERVICE

CABLETELEVISIONSERVICE

PLUMBERS

ELECTRICIANS

CARPENTER

PAINTER

APPLIANCEREPAIRSERVICES

OTHERREPAIRSERVICES

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2 Important Phone Numbers

Now,takeaminutetofindtheshutoffvalvesforyourutilities.Thenwritedownwheretheyarelocatedsosomeoneelsecouldfindthemifnecessary.Makenoteofanyspecialconditionsaboutthe

locationofeachoneorhowitworks.Also,readthewarrantyandinstructionsforallyourappliances.Thenplaceallthisinformationinonelocationsoyoucanfinditwhenyouneedit.

ELECTRICAL MAIN SWITCH LOCATION

WATER MAIN VALVE LOCATION

HOT WATER HEATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION

GAS MAIN VALVE LOCATION

WARRANTY AND INSTRUCTIONS LOCATION

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3Emergency Switch/Valve Locations

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 1EMERGENCY SWITCH AND VALVE LOCATIONS 3INTRODUCTION 5HOME EXTERIORS 6

Foundation7

ExteriorWalls 8 RoofandGutters 10 WindowsandDoors 12 Yards 14

HOME INTERIORS 15PLUMBING 20ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS 31MONTHLY MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION CHECKLIST 35GLOSSARY 39

HOME MAINTENANCE GUIDE forTENNESSEE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

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4 Contents

Yourhomeisoneofyourmostimportantfinancialinvestmentsandpropermaintenancewillhelpyouprotectthisvaluableasset.Sinceyouaretheowner,itisyourresponsibilitytotakegoodcareofyourhome. Youcantakechargeofmaintainingyourhomebyregularlydoing:

* Routine Inspections * Preventive Maintenance

Ahouseismadeupofalotofdifferentpartsthatareallrelatedanddependontheotherparts.Forexample,ifyouhavealeakinyourroof,itcannotonlydamageyourroof,butcancauseyoutohaveproblemswithyourceilings,walls,andyourelectricalsystemaswell.So,it’sveryimportantthatyoufixaproblemwhenyoudetectit. ThisHomeMaintenanceGuidewillprovideyouwithimportantinformationaboutthedifferentpartsofyourhouse.Eachsectionwillgiveyouseveralimportantitemstolookforasyouconductyourroutineinspections.Aswediscusseachpartofthehouse,wewillgiveyoupreventivemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromproblemsinthefuture.

Thefirstsectiongivesyouaplacetorecordtheimportantnamesandphonenumbersofdepartments,companiesandhomemaintenanceprofessionalsthatyouneedtokeeponhandformaintenanceandemergencies. Thenwe’lllookatallthemajorpartsofyourhouse.Ineachsectionwe’lldiscusswhatyouneedtolookoutforinyourroutineinspectionsandhowyoucantakepreventivemeasurestomaintainyourhouse. Thelastsectionisascheduleforamonth-by-monthinspectionofyourhouse.Ifyoufollowthemonthlyinspectionschedule,itwillhelpkeepyourhouseintopnotchcondition. Remember,problemswithyourhousewillnotsimplygoaway.Theywillonlygetbiggerandcostyoumore.It’sreallytruethat“anounceofpreventionisworthapoundofcure.”

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5Introduction

Whenyouthinkoftheexteriorpartofyourhouse,youthinkoftheoutsideportionofyourhouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseismadeupoffivemajorareas:

Foundation - Thefoundationofyourhousesupportsthestructurethatisaboveitandkeepsthestructurefromshifting.

Siding - Thesidingofthehouseistheoutsidewalls.

Roof - Theroofcoversthetopofthehouse.

Windows and Doors - Windowsanddoorsareopeningsinthesidingandwallsofyourhouse.

Yard - Theyardisthatareasurroundingyourhousegenerallyknownasyourproperty. Eachoftheseareasmakeuptheexteriorofthehouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseiswhatpeopleseefirst-itistheirfirstimpressionofhowyoulive.Forthatreason,youshouldkeepyourhouselookingcleanandneat.

HomeExteriors

HomeExteriors

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FOUNDATION Thefoundationofyourhouseisthepartofyourhousethatsupportsthefloor,thewalls,theroofandeverythinginsideyourhome.Awell-constructedandproperlymaintainedfoundationshouldlastforyourlifetimeandthensome.Thereareseveraldifferenttypesoffoundations,butonethingthattheyallhaveincommonisthattheymustrestonsolidground.Ifafoundationisproperlybuilt,youshouldhaveveryfewproblemsifyoumaintainit.Afoundationthatispoorlybuilt,eitherthroughmaterialsorlabor,willonlycauseyouproblemslater.Afoundationcancreatemanydifferentproblemsinsideyourhouse.Somemaybeveryminorandrequireverylittlerepairs,whileothersmaybemajor,life-threateningproblemsthatrequirelotsoftimeandmoneytofix. Thefoundationofeveryhouseshouldbeinspectedatleasttwotimesayear,onceinthespringandonceinthefall.Asyourhouseagesandsettles,yourfoundationcancrack,creatingnewproblems.Severeweatherconditionssuchasbadwinters,severesummerstorms,orlongrainyperiodscanalsocreatefoundationproblems. Thefoundationshouldlooklikea“foot-print”ofyourhousethatisdesignedtocarrythehouse’sweight.Generally,foundationsarebuiltonfooterswitheitheracrawlspaceorconcreteslab.Ifyourhousehasabasement,thenyourhousewillhaveanoutsidefoundation.

FOUNDATION INSPECTION Thefirsttimeyouinspectyourfoundationyoushouldmakenotesasto

yourfindingsandthedatetheinspectionwasconducted.Youwillthenbeabletocheckanychangesthatmayoccuroverthenextfewyearsbasedonyournotes.

Landscaping, Drainage and Water Runoff - Tobeginyourinspectionyouneedtolookatthelandscapinganddrainagearoundthefoundation.Youmayneedtohavesomeonegradethesoilsothatwaterwillrunoffawayfromyourhouse.Youshouldalsomakesurethatanyguttersanddownspoutswillbedivertedawayfromthefoundation.Landscapingplantedaroundthefoundationwillabsorbthewaterandstabilizethesoil.However,treesandshrubswithlargerootsystemscandamagethefoundation.

Cracks, Leaks, and Condensation - Smallhairlinecracksarecommonandnothingtoworryabout.However,cracksthatarewiderthan1/16ofaninchareimportant.Widercracksshouldbeinspectedbyaprofes-sionalbuildinginspectortodeterminethecauseofthecracking.Verticalorsteppingcracksusuallyarecausedbyseverewinterswherethegroundhasfrozenandexpanded,therebyputtingpressureonthefoundation.Crackingcanalsobecausedbya“settling”ofthefoundation.Settlingcrackswilloccurwhenthefoundationwasnotpouredonsolidground.Whenleaksoccurinthefoundation,theyaregenerallyfromimproperdrainageorcondensation.

Insects - Insectsareapotentialproblemtoconsiderwhenexaminingyourfoundation.Termites,wormsandantscanhideinyourhouseandcreateproblemsbeforeyoueverknowtheyare

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7Home Exteriors

there.Theygenerallylikedarkanddampplacesthataredifficultforthenakedeyetodetect.Youshouldhaveanannualtermiteinspectiontoensurethatyoukeepyourhousefreeoftermitesandinsects.

FOUNDATION MAINTENANCE Low-lyingshrubsandgroundcover,likegrassormulch,willallowthesoiltodrainawayfromthefoundationandwillkeepthesoilaroundyourfoundationstable.Plantsshouldnotbeplantednexttowallsofyourhouse.Flowerbedsshouldbeplantedseveralfeetfromthehouse.Thisallowsforadequatedrainageofthesoilandlimitsthemoistureandcondensation. Smallhairlinecrackingcanbepreventedbykeepingthesoilaroundthefoundationasdryaspossible.Ifthefoundationwasproperlyinstalledandifthegroundsurroundingthefoundationdrainsproperly,crackingwillbeminimal. Anotherimportantelementistheventilationoffoundations.Ifyouhaveacrawlspaceorbasement,thisareashouldbeproperlyventilatedtopreventcondensationandthebuildupofmoisturebetweenthegroundandthesubflooring.Condensationoccurswhenthecoolfoundationismetbywarmerair.Properventilationcaneliminateconden-sationproblems.Ventsshouldbeleftopenduringthesummerandclosedshutduringthewinter. Thetreatmentandpreventionoftermitesisnotado-it-yourselfproject.Ittakesacompleteunderstandingandknowledgeofhowandwheretheinsectslive.Youshouldhireaproperlytrainedprofessionalexterminatortogetridoftheinsects.Thebestwaytokeepinsectsout

ofyourhouseistohireanexterminatortosprayforbugsonaregularschedule. Onceyoustarthavingfoundationproblems,itisdifficultandcostlytocorrectthem.Thesemeasuresaresimplemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromexpensivefoundationrepairs.

EXTERIOR WALLS Theexteriorwallsandsidingofyourhouseshouldbeweathertighttopreventwaterdamageanddrafts.Peelingpaint,damagedshinglesandopenseamsinsidingandtrimarenotonlyunsightly,theyinviteseriousproblems.Propermaintenanceofyourexteriorwallswillhelpyouavoidcostlydamageoftheinnerwalls.Exteriorwallsaremadeupofframing,insulation,sheetingpaper,sidingandtrim.Eachitemplaysanimportantpartinmakingyourhouseweatherproofwhichwillkeepyoudryandwarminside.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofsiding:wood,vinyl,aluminum,brickandstone.Butthesimpletruthisthatsidingandtrimdonotlastunlesstheyarewellkeptonaregularbasis.

EXTERIOR WALL INSPECTIONS Nomatterwhattypeofsidingandtrimyoumayhaveonyourexteriorwallsyouneedtoinspectthewallsatleasttwiceayear.Yourprimaryconcernwillbedetectingareaswherewatermaygetthroughyourwalls.Inspectthewallsfromtoptobottomlookingcarefullyfordefectsinthesurface.Itmaybenecessarytouseascrewdriveronthesurfacetoseeifwoodisrotting.Pay

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8 Home Exteriors

closeattentiontothewallsonthesouthandsoutheastsidesofthehouse.Thesewallsgetmoreexposuretosunandtovariationsintemperaturewhichmakethemmoreapttodeterioratequickly.Keepyournotepadhandysoyoucanrecordtheconditionsandanychangesintheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.

EXTERIOR WALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Aspartofyourinspection,youshouldincluderoutinemaintenancethroughperiodiccleaning,caulking,paintingorstainingandanysimplepreventiverepairjobsonanas-neededbasis.

Cleaning -Oneofthesimplestmaintenancechoresforyourwallsistosimplyhosedownyoursidingandtrimtoremovedirtandgrime.Forbricksurfacesyoucanuseacarwashbrushthatattachestoahose.Thecombinationofgoodoldelbowgreasemixedwithwaterandabrushwilladdressmostbrickcleaningproblems.Withvinyl,aluminumandwoodsidingyoumayfinditnecessarytoscrubdownthedirtysurfaceswithacleaningsolution.Anyhardwarestorewillhavecleaningsupplies.Alwaysbesuretofollowdirectionsandcoveranyshrubsandplantsbeneathyourworkarea.Whileyouarecleaning,lookformildewonyourwalls. Youshouldcleanthemildewwithoneparthouseholdliquidbleachmixedwiththree-partswarmwater.Scrubthesurfaceandletitsoakfor15minutes.Thenuseagardenhoseandrinsethewallthoroughly.Ifthemildewremains,scrubthewallswithamixtureofwater

andpowderedlaundrydetergent.Remembertoprotectyourskinandeyesfromanycleaningsolution.

Caulking Openings -Caulkingandsealingopenjointsandseamsintheexteriorwallsshouldbeapriorityinyourroutinemaintenanceprogram.Openingswillallowmoisture,water,draftsandinsectstocreepintoyourhouse.Caulkingdriesoutovertime,sodon’tbesurprisedtofindyourselfcaulkingeachyear.Caulkingisasimpleprocessthatyoucanperformusingacaulkinggunandaputtyknife.Makesureyouareusingtherightkindofcaulkforwhatyouaresealing.Yourhardwarestorecanhelpyouselectthecorrectcaulk.Areasthattypicallyneedcaulkingarelistedbelow:

1. Windows and door frames

2. Brick and siding joints

3. Seal small foundations cracks

4. Cracks in siding

5. Trim and siding joints

6. Vents

7. Foundation and siding joints

Painting and Staining - Ifyoukeepthepaintonyourhouseingoodcondition,thejointsandseamswellcaulkedandthewallsurfacesclean,youwillgreatlyreducethechancesofwooddecayandmoisturegettingintoyourhouse.Paintwillblisterandpeelovertimeduetoexposuretosunandweather.Whenthisoccurs,youareallowingwatertogetintoyourhouse.

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9Home Exteriors

Thecorrectwaytorepaintasurfacethatisblisteringandpeelingistoscrapeoffalloftheloosepaint.Washtheareawithamilddetergent,thencleanoffthesurfaceandletitdrycompletely.Oncethesurfacehasdried,caulktheareasthatareneeded,resetloosenails,puttyoverholes,andpaintaprimercoatonallbaresurfaces.Againallowtheareatodry.Last,applytwocoatsofpaintbeingsurethateachcoatofpaintdriescompletely.Bypreparingthesurface,youwillextendthetimebetweenpainting. Ifyouhavemetalsiding,youwillneedtofollowthesameprocessexceptyouwilluseawirebrushtocleanthesurfaceofdirtandrust.Besuretouseametalprimerbeforeapplyingthetwocoatsofpaint.Paintingorstainingcombinedwithcaulkingwillkeepthewoodaroundtheexteriorofyourhousefromdecaying.Yourlocalhardwarestorecanadviseyouonthetypesofpaintsyouneedtouseforthetypeofsurfaceyouarepainting.

Brick and Mortar Repairs -Itisnotuncommonforthemortarbetweenbrickstocrack.Again,crackswillallowmoistureandwatertoseepintoyourhouse.Repairingmortarisasimpleprocessthatmostpeoplecando.Aswitheveryotherrepairprocess,besuretocleanthesurfaceproperly.Youcanremovethesmallparticlesbyflushingwithahoseorbyusingawirebrush.Mortarcanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Youwillwanttomatchthecolorofyourmortar,soyoumaywanttotakeasamplewithyouwhenyougotothestore.Thenmixthemortarandwetthesurfacethatyouwillbefilling.Thenpressthemortarintothejointswithajointertool.Afterafewminutes,clean

theexcessmortarandallowthejointstodry.

A word of caution: Atthebottomofeachwallyouwillfindsmallopeningscalledweepholes.Theyaretheretoallowmoisturetoescape.Locatetheweepholesfirst,andthenbesuretoleavethemopensotheycanlettrappedmoistureescape. Aswithanypreventivemaintenance,beforemakingrepairstoyourexteriorwalls,find the source of the problem. Coveringupaproblemwillnotmaketheproblemgoaway.Thelongeraproblemexists,themoreitislikelytocostyoutorepair.Besuretogorighttothesourcebeforemakinganyrepairs.

ROOF AND GUTTERS Theroofandthedifferentpartsoftheroof,suchastheflashing,drains,guttersanddownspouts,cannotbeignoredyearafteryear.Justbecauseyoudon’thavevisibleleaksdoesn’tmeanthatyoudon’thaveproblems.Don’texpectyourrooftobeproblem-free.Propermaintenancecansignificantlyextendthelifeofyourroof. Toprovidethebestpreventivemaintenanceforyourroof,youshouldinspectyourroofatleasttwiceayear,onceinthespringandagaininthefall.Italsomakesgoodsensetoscanyourroofandguttersthroughouttheyear.Duringandafterarainstorm,youcantellifguttersareclearofdebrisandifyouhaveleaksaroundventsandfireplaces.

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ROOF AND GUTTERS INSPECTION Roof Covering -Shinglesarethemostcommonformofroofcovering;however,thetypeofcoveringwilldependontheslopeoftheroof.Youwillneedtoinspecttheshinglesfromtheground,ontopoftheroofandfromtheinteriorportionoftheraftersintheattic. Ifyoufindthattheshinglesarecurling,cracking,losingtheirgrainysurface,peelingawayfromtheroofand/orchangingcolor;thentheroofisshowingsignsofwear.Itmaybetimetogetanewroof. Whenyouperformyourinspectionintheattic,youwillneedtolookfordiscoloringofrafters,watermarksonthewallsanddecayingofwood.Waterleakscanbefromoldanddecayingshingles.Butmoreoftenthannot,leaksoccuraroundplumbingventpipes,chimneystructures,roofventsandroofvalleys.

Gutters and Downspouts -Oneofthemostoverlookedpreventivemaintenancemeasurestoyourroofisthecleaningofguttersanddownspouts.Guttersanddownspoutsfillupwithleaves,pineneedlesanddebris.Whentheguttersareclogged,thisgiveswaterthechancetoseepintocracksandbackupundertheroofingmaterial.Gutterswillalsospilloveronthegroundandcancausedamporwetbasementsandfoundations.Ifyouwanttolimityourcleaningtime,youcaninstallplasticorwirescreensoverthegutters.However,thescreenswillalsoneedsomecleaning.

Trees -Onethingmanypeopleoverlookwhenperformingaroutineinspectionisthelocationoftreesandbranchesaroundyourhouse.Treesandbranchesclosetothehouseorhangingoverthehousecanbeahazardtoyourroof.Duringicestormsorseverewindandrain,it’snotuncommonforbranchesortreestosnap,allowingthemtocrash

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11Home Exteriors

ontopofyourroof.Keeptreesandbranchesclearofthehouse.

ROOF AND GUTTER MAINTENANCE

Wheninspectingyourroof,safetyisaprimaryconcern.Ifyouaregoingtochecktheroofyourself,makesuresomeoneiswithyouincaseofanaccident.Also,ifyouareelderlyorhandicapped,donotgetontopofyourroof.Getaprofessionaltoinspectyourroof. Ifyouhaveanyofthesignsofaroofwearingout(forexample:leaks,discoloring,orpeelingshingles),itmaybetimeforanewroof.Beforeyoucallarooferintomaketherepairs,youmightwanttogetanopinionfromacontractor.Hecangiveyouanideaofwhatneedstobedonetoyourroof.Roofsandroofrepairsareveryspecialized,soknowwhatyouaredoingorgetsomeonethatknowswhattheyaredoingwhenroofrepairsareneeded. Whenyouseethesignsofleaks,youneedtogetaprofessionaltodeterminetheproblem.Addressingtheproblemearlywilllimitthedamageandwillcostyouless.Remembertokeepyourguttersanddrainscleanedout.Thisisasimpleandinexpensivemeasurethatwillsavethelifeofyourroofandyourfoundation.Also,bykeepingthelimbsandtreestrimmedawayfromyourhouseyouloweryourriskofdamageduringstorms.

WINDOWS AND DOORS Windowsanddoorsareanimportantpartofanyhouse.Theyprovideaccess,lightingandventilationintoyourhome.Poorlyinstalledorpoorlymaintained

windowsanddoorswillcauseyoumanyproblems.Ifawindowordoordoesnotfitsnugly,thenitwillallowhotandcoldairtoenteryourhome.Properlyinstalledstormwindowsanddoorswillalsoprovideadditionalsecurity.Ifthestormwindowfits

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looselyoriftheglassisbroken,thestormwindowoffersnobenefittoyourhouse.

WINDOWS AND DOORS INSPECTION Windowsarethebiggestsourceofheatloss.Loose-fitting,crackedormissingpanes,allowyourheattogooutthewindowduringthewinter.Caulkingandweatherstrippingaroundthewindowsareveryimportant.Caulkingsealscracksandgapsaroundwindowswhereframesmeetexteriorsiding.Sealingthecracksandgapsreducestherateofheatlossinadditiontokeepingmoistureoutofyourhouse. Weatherstrippingisusuallyinstalledonwindowswherethesashandframemeetandondoorswherethedoorandjambmeetalongthesidesandtop.Weatherstrippingismadeofbronze,aluminum,steelandrubberorplasticstrips.Weatherstrippingneedstobereplacedperiodically,particularlyinareasthatareusedmostfrequently. Youneedtoinspectallofyourwindowseveryspringandeveryfall.Checkthecaulkingandweatherstrippingaroundyourwindowandlookforcracked,missingorlooselyfittedwindows. Doorsnotonlyprovideyouaccessintoandoutofyourhouse,buttheyalsoprovideyouwithprotectionfromtheoutside.First,youneedtocheckyourdoorforoperation.Doesthedooropeneasily,doesthedoorclosecompletelyandwillthedoorlocksecurely?Thenyouneedtomakesurethatthedoorisnotcrackedormissinganypanes.Useascrewdrivertogentlycheckforrottenwood,looseputtyandflakingcaulk.

Whenyoufindtheseproblems,generallyitmeansthatthereissometypeofmoistureinyourwood.Youmaybeabletomakesomeoftheserepairsyourself.Ifyoudonotknowhowtomaketheserepairs,getacarpentertomaketheseimprovements. Aswithyourwindows,caulkingandweatherstrippingarealsoveryimportant.Doorsthatareusedmostfrequentlywillneedtobecaulkedandweatherstrippedmoreoften.Ifyourdoorisstilldrafty,thenyoumayhaveaproblemwithyourhousesettling.

WINDOWS AND DOORS MAINTENANCE

Inspectyourwindowsanddoorstwiceayear,onceinthefallandonceinthespring.Youwillneedtolookforandmakethefollowingrepairs:

1. Repair cracked, loose or broken glass.

2. Scrape and paint any peeling paint on all doors and windows.

3. Replace or repair missing, loose or deteriorated caulking.

4. Repair, tighten or replace any loose or missing storm windows.

5. Patch or replace the screenings on the windows.

YARDS Youryardisthefirstpartofyourhouseanyonesees.Soyouwillwanttomakesurethattheyardiscleaneduptogiveeveryoneagoodimpressionof

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13Home Exteriors

yourhouse.Thereareanumberofotherimportantreasonsyouwillwanttokeepyouryardclean.Firstandforemost,bykeepingthedebrisandtrashpickeduparoundyourhouse,youkeepinsects,ratsandrodentsfromnestingandmakingnewhomes. Ifyouryardiswellmaintained,youalsoimprovethesafetyofyourhouse.Yardsthatareclutteredwithappliances,broken-downcarsandtrashareaneyesoretoneighbors.Astorageshedinthebackofyourhouse,whereyoucanstoreitems,isthesafestandcleanestwayforyoutokeepyouryardneat.

YARD MAINTENANCE TIPS Keeping the Yard Mowed -Youwillwanttokeepthegrasscutinyouryard.Duringthesummermonthsyardmaintenanceismoredemanding.Duringthefallyouwillwanttorakeormulchtheleaves.

Plants and Shrubs -Plantingflowerswilladdcolortoyouryard.Plantsandshrubsalsohelpstabilizethesoilaroundthefoundation.Whenplanting,besuretoallowsomedistancebetweenthefoundationandyourplants.Toomuchmoisturenexttothefoundationcandamageyourfoundation.

Trees and Limbs -Surveyyouryardfordeadlimbsandtrees.Theseshouldberemoved.Itmayrequireaprofes-sionaltreesurgeontodothis.However,youshouldn’thaveanyproblemmovingthelimbstotheproperplacefordisposal.Checkwithyourcityorcountytoseewhoisresponsiblefordisposaloftreeandlimbdebris. Youwillalsoneedtosurveyyourlivetrees.Treesthataretooclosetothehouseortreesthathangoverpowerlinesaredangerous,particularlyduringwindyandfreezingweather.Bytrimminglimbsandremovingdeadlimbsyouwillsaveyourselffromalotofproblems.

Storage -Keepyouryardfreefromdebris.Ifyouhaveoddsandendsinyouryard,keeptheminacoveredshedinthebackofyourhouse.Notonlywillthishelpeliminateunwantedratsandrodents,itwillkeepyourneighborshappy.

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Home Interiors

Home Interiors

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Theinteriorwalls,ceilingsandfloorsofyourhouseformasurfacethatcoversthestructuralframe,plumbing,electricalsystem,heatingandcoolingductsandotherbuildingcomponentsthatwould

beunsightlyorhazardous.Thisiswhyitisimportanttoexaminetheinteriorofyourhouse.Forexample,aleakinyourplumbingcandamageyourwalls,foundationandelectricalsystem.

INTERIOR INSPECTIONS Sincethewalls,ceilingsandfloorscovertheareasyouareinspecting,youneedtouseyoursenseofsightandsmell.Youalsohavetotrainyourselftospotchangesovertime.Inspectionoftheinteriorofyourhouseshouldbeanongoingprocess.Asyoucleanyourhouse,lookforchangesinthelevelofthefloor,cracksinyourwalls,dampspotsonyourwallsandfloors.Whenyouthinkyouhavefoundanareathatmayhavechanged,taketheextratimetoexploretheproblem.Youwanttocatchaproblemearlybeforemoreextensivedamageisdonetoyourhouse.Thefollowingitemsaresomewarningsignsthatyoushouldexamineclosely.

Sagging Ceilings and Walls -Wheninspectingyourceilingandwalls,firstmakesureyourroomiswelllit.Thenlookcarefullyatyourceilingsandwalls.Saggingceilingsmaybeasignofloosewallboardorplasterandshouldbeinspectedmoreclosely.Bowedwallsmayindicateaweaknessinthestructuralframework.Minorlocalizedsaggingorsofteningofwallsorceilingsmayindicateawaterleakaboveorbehindthearea.Watertravelsalongtheframeworkofyourhouseandwillsettleinthelowestpoint.Aleakinoneareaofthehousemaybenoticedinanareathatisfarfromtheactualleak.

Cracks in Walls and Ceilings -Crackscomeinmanysizes,shapesandforms.Allcracksneedtobelookedattodeterminethecause.Veryfine,straightcracksthatareparalleltothewallsandceilingsgenerallyareofnogreatconcern.Theycanberepairedwith

aflexiblecaulkingandtouchedupwithpaint. Lookcloselywithamagnifyingglassatjointswheretwopiecesofwallboardcometogether.Normallythesejointsarecoveredwithpapertapeandlayersofjointcompound.Ifyoufindacrackatajoint,onlycosmeticrepairsarenecessary.Youwillneedtowatchtheareaovertimetoseeifitoccursagainandincreasesinsize. Cracksmaychangesizefromseasontoseasonasyourhomeexpandsandcontractswiththeweather.Ifthecracksgrowwiderovertime,youshouldcallaprofessionaltoinspectyourfoundation.Cracksatangles,jaggedcracksandopencracksneedtobelookedatmoreclosely.Ifthecracksoccuroverashortperiodoftime,lookforthesource.Poordrainageoutsideyourhomeorstandingwaterunderneathit,maybecausingthesoiltoheaveandshiftthebuilding.Animproperlyconstructedfoundationinafreezingclimatecouldbeanothercause.

Cracks in Floors -Cracksthatappearinconcreteslabfloorsorinrigidfloorcoveringssuchasceramictileshouldbecloselyanalyzed.Tracethecrackstotheoutsidewallwherethefaceofthefoundationisexposed.Hereyoucanseeifthecrackrunsupthewalloreventhroughthefoundationitself.Hairlinecracksarecommoninanyconcretestructure.However,ifthecrackiswiderthan1/8inch,itshouldbefurtherinspectedandaddressed.

Floor Squeaks and Buckling Floors -Woodfloorsarerarelysqueakfree.Sincegreen,unseasonedwoodisusedinnewconstruction,squeakscanoccurlaterwhenthewooddriesout.Squeaks

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areannoying,butrarelyasignofstructuralproblems. Floorswillbucklewhentheyareexposedtohighhumidityoriftheyarenotproperlyinstalled.Woodneedsadequateexpansionareas.Whenthisisnotprovided,thenthefloorwillbuckletogetthenecessaryspace.

Insect Damage -Inspectionforinsectdamageneedstobeanongoingeffort.Thebestwaytoaddressinsectdamageistopreventinsectdamage.Aprofes-sionalinspectionservicecaninspectyourhomeandperiodicallysprayforinsects.Onceyouspotinsectdamage,theinsectsarewellontheirwaytospreadingthroughoutyourhouse. Youshouldlookcloselyatexposedwoodbaseboards,trim,doorandwindowjambsthroughoutyourhome.Smalltanordarkbrownpelletsorasawdust-likematerialindicatesthepresenceofwooddamage.Drywoodtermiteslikedark,dampspaces.Again,thebestwaytopreventinsectdamageistohaveyourhouseprofessionallyservicedonanannualbasis.

Sight and Smell Senses -Asyouinspectyourhome,paycloseattentiontowhatyournoseandeyesaretellingyou.Amusty,damp,staleodorshouldbetrackedatonce.Checkthecrawlspaceorbasementformoistureordampsoil.Lookandsmellinsideclosetstodeterminewhethertheyareadequatelyventilated.Checkforleakypipes.Showerwaterthatiscontinuallysplashedontothefloorcanleakthroughcracksandcausethefloororsubflooringtorot. Checkthewallsbehindfurnitureandpicturesthatarenotfrequentlymoved.Lookformoldandmildew.Thisisa

signofmoistureorpoorventilation.Ifyourcarpetsmells,thepaddingmaybeabsorbingmoisture.Pullbackyourcarpettoinspectthepaddingandfloorforrustspotsorfungalgrowth.Ifthecarpetingfallsapartwhenyoupullatit,youhaveaseriousmoistureproblem. Useyoureyestosurveyforwaterleaksinyourceilings,wallsandfloors,particularlyaroundbaseboards.Awaterstaintypicallyappearsasadarkringofdiscolorationaroundanaffectedarea.Asmentionedearlier,waterwillmovealongtheframeworkofahousetothelowestpoint. Whenaceilingstainoccursbelowanattic,checkforleaksintheatticplumbinganduseastrongflashlighttoinspecttheroofframe.Besureandcheckthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.Ascaulkinggetsolder,itwillcrackandseparate,allowingwatertoseepthroughintotheinteriorofyourhouse.

INTERIOR MAINTENANCE TIPS Whenyouseechangesinyourwalls,ceilingsandfloors,youshouldtakethetimetogivethemsomeimmediateattention.Herearesomeinteriormaintenancetipsthatwillhelpeliminatesomemajorandcostlyrepairsinthefuture.Usecommonsensewhenspottingchangesinyourhouse.Themostimportantmaintenancetipistokeep a clean house, free from trash and debris.

Ceilings -Ceilingsthatarenewlyinstalledgenerallyneedverylittleattention.However,ifyouseecracksandwaterstainstheyneedtobelookedinto

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immediately.Mostcracksarehairlinecracksanddonotrepresentaseriousproblem.Thesetypesofcrackscanbeeasilypatchedandpainted.Remember,everycrackneedstobeinvestigatedtoseeifitrepresentsamoreseriousproblem.

Walls -Mostwalldamageiscausedbysimplephysicalabuse.Youcanpreventaproblembypayingspecialattentiontothecareofyourwalls.Wallsneedtobeperiodicallycleanedbyanonabrasivehouseholdcleaningproduct.Youshouldfindoutthetypeofpaintusedonyourwallsandmakesurethatyourcleaningsolutionissuitableforthesurface.Ifyoupaintyourwalls,thenyoushouldbesuretousethetypeofpaintthatissuitableforyourwalls.Youcanalwaysuseoilbasedpaintoveranytypeofpaint.However,youcannotpaintwaterbasedpaintoveroilbasedpaint. Structuralproblemswithwallsareindicationsofamoreseriousproblemwithintheinteriorwallsorthefoundationofthehouse.Whenaproblemisdiscovered,itisimportanttodeterminethecauseoftheproblem.Thismayrequireaprofessionalinspectororcontractortolookintotheproblem.

Floors -Floorsshouldbemaintainedbyregularcleaningandvacuuming.Regularcleaningcanextendthelifeofyourfloor.Atrouble-freefloordependsongoodsubflooringandtheinstallationofthesubflooring.

Odors and Mildew -Youcandoalottocontrolmildewandmustydoors.Checkallventilatingsystemsinthecrawlspacesandattic.Replaceventscreensthathavebecomecloggedbydebris

orpaint.Closetsmaybecomemustyduetopoorcirculation.Louvereddoorsincreaseaircirculationandwillhelpkeepyourclosetssmellingfresh.Placeyourfurnitureseveralinchesawayfromthewalltoallowventilation.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspacehasadirtfloor,trysealingtheexposedearthwithasheetofplastic.Thiswillactasavaporbarrierandwillalsokeepmoistureoutofyourhouse.

Stairways -Stairwaysareareaswhereaccidentsfrequentlyoccur.Makesurethathandrailsaresecurelyattachedtothewallsandextendthelengthofthestairs.Eachstepshouldbethesamedepthanddistanceapart.Whenastairwayhasstepsofdifferentheights,youareaskingfortrouble.Keepdebrisclearedoffthestairstopreventtripping.

Bathrooms and Kitchens -Bathroomsandkitchensneedextraattentionbecauseoftheconstantpresenceofmoisture.Useastrongflashlighttochecktheplumbingunderthesinks.Checkbehindrefrigeratorstomakesurethatwaterisnotrunningoutofyourrefrigeratorandrottingyourfloor.Asponginessordiscolorationofthefloorcoveringaroundthetoiletcouldmeanaleakinthesealwhereitconnectstothefloor.Lookfordamagedormissingcaulkingbetweenthetub,sinks,toiletsandthewallsandfloors.Jointsbetweenbathroomwallsandsinks,bathtubsorshowersrequirecaulking.Itcannotbeoveremphasizedthatcaulkingisasimpleandinexpensivemethodofmoistureproofingthatcansaveyouhundredsofdollarsinlaterrepairs. Thekitchencookingareasneedinspectionaboutonceamonth.Checkyourrangeventilatorhoodforgrease

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build-upandkeepitclean.Thiswillreducetheriskoffireduetogreasebuild-up.Lightbulbscoveredwithgreaseshouldbecleanedorreplaced.

Smoke Alarms -Eachhouseshouldhaveatleastonesmokealarm.Ifyouhavemorethanoneleveltoyourhouse,youshouldhaveonesmokealarmforeachlevel.Youshouldlocateasmokealarmineachbedroom.Smokealarmsoperateonbatteriesoronelectricity.Ifyouusebatteries,thenyouwillneedtochangeyourbatteriestwiceayear.Smokealarmsareessentialtothehealthandsafetyofyourhome.

Who Should Do the Work? -Normalroutineinspectionandmaintenancewilleliminatetheneedforacostlyprofes-sionalinmostcases.Byaddressingaproblemorpotentialproblemearlyon,youmaybeabletomakesomeoftherepairsyourself.Thelongeraproblemgoesunattended,themorecostlyandmoreinvolveditwillbetosolve.

Mostofthehomemaintenancetipspresentedherecanbedonebyyouorsomeonethatishandywithrepairs.Structuralproblemsoftenrequireaprofessionaltomakethenecessaryrepairs. Whenusingaprofessional,besuretogetafixedpricebeforetheystartthework.Youshouldaskforreferencesfromthehomerepairprofessionalandcheckthereferences.Makesureyouhaveawrittencontractwhenworkingwithacontractor.Thatwayeveryonewillhaveagoodunderstandingoftheworktobeperformed.Oncetheybegintheworkandanychangesareneeded,makesureyouknowthecostofthechanges.Ifyouarepayingforsomeoneelsetodothework,itshouldbequalityworkthathe/shewillstandbehind.

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Plumbinginyourhouseislargelytakenforgranteduntilyouhaveproblems.Ifyouhavejusthadyourhouserehabilitatedorreconstructed,anyplumbingproblemsshouldhavebeenaddressed.Whenyoustarthavingsmallproblems,thisisacluethatyourplumbingsystemneedssomemaintenance.Beforeyoucaninspect

yourplumbing,youneedtohaveagoodunderstandingofyourplumbing. Theplumbinginyourhouseismadeupofthreedifferentsystems:awatersupplysystem,adrain-wastesystemandaventsystem.Allthreesystemsdependonyourwatersourceandthecapacityofyourwatersource.

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WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thenyoupayamonthlywaterbillandtheutilitycompanyisresponsibleforprovidingyouwithwater.Yourrespon-sibilitybeginsatthepropertyline.Theutilitycompanywillbringthewatertoyourproperty,thenyouareresponsibleforthewatergettingintoyourhouse. Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thewatershouldenteryourhouseat20to80psi(poundspersquareinch).Ifyourwaterpressureislow,youneedtocheckwiththeutilitycompanytoseeifithasadequatesizedlineswiththerightamountofpressuretoserveyourhome.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,thewaterlineleadingintothehousemaybeundersizedorcorrodedfromage.Ifthisisthecase,youmayneedtoreplacethelineleadingintoyourhouse. Somehomesmayuseawelltoprovidewater.Undergroundwaterispumpedintoapressuretank.Asyourhousedemandswater,thewaterispumpedintothehouseandthepressuretankisrefilled.Ifyouuseawell,thenperiodicallyyouwillneedtohaveyourwellprofessionallyinspected. Ifyouhaveproblemswithyourwatersupply,hireaprofessionaltoinspectandmaintainyourwaterlines.Takenoteofyourwaterbill.Ifyourwaterbillissuddenlyhigher,youcouldhavealeakintheground.Also,ifyourwaterbillgraduallyincreases,youcouldhaveasmallleakinthehouse.Remember,whenyouwaterplantsinthesummer,youpayfortheextrawater. Whenyouhaveproblemswithdeliveryofwatertoyourhouse,callyourutilitycompanyandaskthemtoinspectthelines.Keepinmindthatyouare

responsibleformaintainingthewaterlineonyourproperty.

The Water Supply Piping -Mostwatersupplylinesaremadeupofgalvanizediron,copper,brassorplasticpipe.Olderhomesmayuseleadpipesormayhaveusedleadjointstoconnectthepipes.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,youmaywanttohaveyourwatertestedforhighlevelsoflead. Ifyourhousecontainsgalvanizedironpiping,thereisagoodchancethatyourlineshavesomedecayontheinsideofthewaterline.Thatcanbeoneofthereasonsforproblemswithwaterpressureandwaterdelivery.Galvanizedpipeshavealifeexpectancyofabout30years.Ifyouareexperiencingdifficultyinwaterdelivery,youwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourwaterlines. Plasticpolyvinylchloride(PVC)pipescanlastaverylongtimesincerustordecaywillnotbuildup.However,yourlocalcodesmaylimittheuseofPVC.IfPVCisexposedtocoldweather,itwillneedtobeinsulatedtopreventcracking.Again,youwillwantaprofessionaltoinspectandinstallyourPVCpipes.

Water Shutoff Valves -Whenwaterpipesbreakorleak,thedamagetoyourhomecanbeverycostly.Ifyouknowhowtoshutoffyourwatersupply,youcanpreventfurtherdamagetoyourhouse.Thereareseveralfixturesthathavetheirownshutoffvalvesuchastoilets,sinks,waterheatersandwasherconnections.Theseshutoffvalvesaregenerallylocatedbehindorbeneaththefixture.Inanycase,youcanalwaysshutoffthewateratthemeterandthiswillshutoffallwaterleadingintothehouse. Youshouldtakethetimetofamiliarize

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yourselfwiththeexactlocationoftheshutoffvalvesforyourhouse.Youneedtochecktoseeifatoolisneededtoassistyouinshuttingoffthewater.Inspectyourshutoffvalvestomakesuretheyarefullyopened.Thenrecordtheexactlocationofyourshutoffvalvesinthespacesprovidedinthefrontofthisguide.

DRAIN-WASTE SYSTEM Usedwaterandwastearecarriedtopublicsewagelinesortoyourseptictanksystem.Oneofthemostfrequentproblemswithyourplumbingsystemisstoppedorslow-drainingfixturesandappliances.Thebestwaytopreventproblemswithyourdrainagesystemistolimitthedebrisyouputinyourdrain. Eachdrainshouldbesealedoffbyatrap.Thetrappreventsgaseousodorsfromcomingbackintoyourhouse.Ifyouhaveasourorsewagesmellinyourhouse,youcanpoursomewaterdownthedrain.Thiswillcausethetraptodraintheliquidandcreateasealbetweenthedrainandyoursewersystem.Iftheodorcontinues,thenyouwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourdrains.

VENT SYSTEM Ventingisnecessarytomaintainequalpressureinyourplumbingsystem

andtomakesurethatanysewergasesescapetotheoutsideofyourhouse.Allplumbingfixturesmustbeventedtotheoutside.Someventswillleadtotheroofwhileotherventswillruntothesideofthehouse.Anewerhousemayhaveonemainventthatconnectstoallthefixtures.It’simportanttokeeptheventsclearofdebris.Smallanimalsandbirdscanbuildnestsinvents.Awirecoveringisalwaysaneasywaytopreventthis.Ventsshouldbecheckedtwiceayeartomakesurethattheydonotbecomeclogged.

PLUMBING INSPECTIONS Manyelementsofyourplumbingcanbeinspectedbyyou,thehomeowner.Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortableinspectingyourplumbing,askafriendorneighbortohelporcallalicensedplumber.Donotconfusetheplumbingpipeswithgaslinesorwarm-waterheatingsystems.

The Water Supply Pipes -First,locateyourwatershutoffvalve.Thiscanbelocatedinabasement,crawlspaceoroutsidethehouse.Knowwhereyourwatermeterisandhowtoshutoffthewaterpipesatthemainwaterline. Next,noticethetypeofwaterlinesinstalledinyourhouse.Makesurethatthewaterlinesaresupportedbyfloorjoistsorwallstuds.Pipesrunningunderthefloorjoistsshouldbeconnectedtothejoistsbypipestraps.Dependingonthetypeofpipe,youshouldhavepipestrapsevery3or5feet. Obviously,asyouinspectyourhouseyouwillneedtolookforanytypeofleaks.Donotconfusesweatingpipeswithleaks.Ifyouhaveawetpipe,wipe

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thepipeoffwithatowel.Ifthepipeisleaking,itwillstartdrippingimmediately.Ifapipeiswetfromcondensation,itwilltaketimetogetwetagain. Whilelookingatyourwaterpipes,makeanoteofanypipesthathavebeenpatched.Patchedpipesshouldbecheckedperiodicallyforleaks,orreplacedwithnewpipes.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspaceisnotheated,thepipesshouldbeinsulatedorwrappedwithelectricalheatingcabletopreventfreezing.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenpipesarelocatednearwindows,foundationvents,orwallsthatarenotinsulated.

Exterior Faucets -Ifyouhaveexteriorfaucets,youneedtohavefrost-prooffaucetsorhaveastop-and-wastevalvetopreventfreezing.Bothtypesoffaucetscanbeboughtatyourlocalhardwarestore.Youmayneedaprofessionaltoinstallthefaucet,orsomeonethatknowsplumbing.Anotheralternativeistoinstallashutoffvalveonthewaterlineleadingtotheoutsidefaucet.Duringthecoldweathermonths,it’salwaysagoodideatodrainyourhosesandstoretheminadry,warmarea.Thiswillkeepyourhosefromcrackingandextendthelifeofyourhose.

The Water Heater -Youwillneedtoinspectyourwaterheateronaregularbasis.Toinspectthewaterheateryoushouldstartatthehotandcoldwaterlinesattachedtothetank.Carefullytoucheachpipetodistinguishthehotwaterandcoldwaterlines.Makesurethatmetalpipinghasbeenusedforatleastthefirst12inchesabovetheheater.Checkforcorrosionorleakageatthepipejoints.

Locatetheshutoffvalveonthecoldwaterlineleadingintothetank.Next,checkthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvestomakesuretheymatchthetankspecificationsusuallyfoundonthesideofthewatertank.Carefullyinspecttheoutermetaljacketforrustorsignsofleakage.Aleakingwaterheateralmostalwayshastobereplaced.Useatoweltomakesureitisaleakandnotconden-sationthathaswettheoutsideofthetank. Makesureyourwaterheaterislocatedinadrippan.Incaseofaleakinthewaterheater,thiscanlimitthedamagedonetoyourhouse.Yourwaterheatermustbeventedtotheoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisparticularlyimportantwithgaswaterheatertanks.

Drains and Sewage Pipes -Locatethedrainagepipesinyourhouse.Theycanbeeasilyfoundbylisteningfor

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runningwater.Drainsandsewagepipesshouldhaveagradualslopetoallowthewatertorundownthepipeandnotgetbackedup.Pipesshouldbesecurelyfastenedtofloororwallsevery4to5feet.Carefullycheckforleaksunderwaterfixturessuchastoilets,sinksandwashingmachines.Allleaksshouldberepairedimmediately. Useastrongflashlighttocheckallthedrainsunderthesinks.Testasinkdrainforleaksbyrunningwaterintothesinkandwatchingasthesinkdrains.Asthewaterdrainsfromthesink,listenforagurglingsound.Thiswillindicatethatthedrainisnotproperlyvented. Ifyouhaveaslowdrain,thisindicatesyourdrainlinesneedcleaning.Ifyouhaveaslowdrainoracloggeddrain,youmaybeabletofixthisproblem.First,trypouringboilinghotwaterdownthedrain.It’sagoodideatodothiseveryweek.Thiswilleliminatebuildupinthedrain.Ifthedrainstilldoesnotdrainproperly,youcanuseaplumber’splungeroraplumber’ssnake.Ifyouuseachemicalcleanertocleanyourdrain,readtheinstructionsverycarefully.Chemicalcleanerswillburnyourskinandcancausepermanentdamagetoyourbody.Remember,youcanalwayscalla

professionaltocleanyourdrains.

The Vent System -Inspectingforventsbeginsoutsideyourhouse.Youshouldhaveventsprotrudingthroughtherooforalongthewallsofyourhouse.Ventsshouldbecappedtopreventcloggingfromoutsidedebrisandtokeepanairtightsealbetweentheinsideandtheoutside.Asimplewirescreenwillkeepsmallanimalsandbirdsfromnestinginyourvent. Continueyourinspectionoftheventsontheinsideofthehouse.Whenvisible,makesurethatventsareproperlyconnectedsothattheairwillventtotheoutside.Donotallowventstostopinyourbasementorcrawlspaces.Ventsmustendoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisveryimportantsincesewerscreatevaporsthancanbedeadly.Thesameistruewithagasfurnaceorgashotwaterheater.Makesurethattheyventallthewaytotheoutside.

Sewer Systems -Yourhomeshouldbeconnectedtoeitherthepublicsewersystemortoaseptictankinyouryard.Ifyouareonpublicsewer,youareresponsibleforgettingthesewerlinesfromyourhousetoyourpropertyline.Atthatpointtheutilityagencyisresponsiblefortransportingthesewage.Ifsewerlinesbecomeclogged,sewagecanbackupintoyourhouse.Whenthishappensyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem.Again,getalicensedplumbertocorrecttheproblem. Ifyouhaveaseptictank,youneedtoknowitslocation.Locatetheseptictankandthedrainfields.Thesizeoftheseptictankandthedrainfieldlinesdependontheintendeduseoftheseptictankandthetypeofsoilinwhichthe

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drainfieldislocated.YourCountyHealthDepartmentcaninspectyourseptictankanddrainfieldtoseeiftheyareproperlysized. Ifyouhavebothaseptictankandawell,theseptictankdrainfieldandthewellshouldbeatleast50feetapart.Whensewageseepsintoyourwellyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem. Periodically,youwillneedtocleanoutyourseptictank.Ifyousmellfoulodorsinyouryardorhouseandifthegroundovertheseptictankorfilllinesaresoggyyouneedtohaveyourseptictankinspected.Youwillwanttouseaprofessionalseptictankpumpingservicetopumpoutyourseptictank.

PLUMBING MAINTENANCE TIPS Mosthomeownerscanperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenancetasksnecessarytokeeptheirplumbingingoodshape.Whenyougetintomoreseriousmatters,youshouldcallalicensedprofessionalplumber.Herearesomeverybasicbuthelpfultipsthatcanpreventsomemajorandcostlyplumbingproblems.

Shutoff Valves -Locateyourshutoffvalvesothatyoucangorighttothevalveincaseofemergency.Onceayearturnthevalvecompletelyoff.Thenopenthevalvecompletelyandturnthevalveonequarterofaturnback.Thiswillpreventthevalvefromcorrodingandgettingstuckintheopenposition.

Water Heaters -Everysixmonthsdrainafewgallonsfromthewaterheatertopreventtheaccumulation

ofsediment.Refertoyourownersmanualforinstructionsondrainingyoursystem.Also,inspectthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvesforoverflows.Again,refertoyourownersmanualtoseeiftheyareoperatingattheirdesignatedspecifications.Ifyouhaveagaswaterheater,aprofessionalshouldchecktomakesurethatitisventedproperly.

Drains and Vents -Eachmonthyoushouldcheckthepop-updrainsandstrainersinyoursinks.Checkthehotandcoldfaucetstomakesurethattheywillclosecompletely.Ifyouhavealeakatthehandle,it’sprobablyawornoutwasherthatneedsreplacing.Remember,ifyoudoanyworkonawaterfixture,youshouldshutoffthewatereitheratthefixtureoratthemainwatershutoffvalve. Beforewintercomesyoushouldmakesurethattheoutsidefaucetsareshutofforprotected.Coldweathercreatesaboomingbusinessforplumbers.Makesureanyexposedpipesorpipesthatarenotinaheatedroom,areproperlyinsulated.Inverycoldweather,youmaywanttoleaveafaucetdripping.Thiswillkeepthewaterinthepipesmovingandwillkeepthewaterfromfreezing.Freezingcausespipestoexpand.Whenthewaterthaws,olddecayingpipeswillburst.Whenthishappens,youshouldturnoffthewaterleadingintothehouseandcallalicensedplumber. Makeahabitofrunningveryhotwaterdownyourdrainonaregularbasis.Thiswillhelpmovealonganydebristhathasgottencloggedorbuiltupinyourdrain.Ifyousmellgaseousodorsinyourhouse,pourwaterdownthedrainandthenchecktheventing.

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Water Supply -Ifyouareapublicwatercustomerandyouhavelowwaterpressureoralimitedwatersupplyduringtheday,reporttheproblemtotheutilityagency.Iftheutilityagencycannotcorrecttheproblem,youmayfirstneedtoreplaceyouwaterlinefromthewatermetertothehouse.Thenreplacethewaterlinesinyourhouse.Checkwithnearbyneighborstoseeiftheyarehavingwaterpressureorwatersupplyproblems. Ifyouareonawellandyouhavediscoloredwater,limitedwatersupplyorparticlesinyourwatersystem,youneedtohaveyourwellinspected.Wellscandryupovertimeandduringdryweatherperiods.Also,checktomakesurethatyourwellandseptictankareproperlyspaced. Ifyouhaveproblemswithdiscoloredwater,waterthatsmellsorwaterthattastesfunny,youshouldhaveyourwatertested.Privatelabs,utilityagencies,andsomeCountyHealthDepartmentscanprovidethisserviceforafee.Callthelabwhereyouaregoingtohaveyourwatertestedandaskthemtoinstructyouabouttheproperprocedureforcollectingthesample.

HIRING A PROFESSIONAL Whenyouhaveplumbingproblemsthatarebeyondroutinemaintenancerepairs,youmayneedtocallonaprofessionallicensedplumber.Plumberscanbeexpensive.Theyshouldbelicensedandshouldhaveliabilityinsurance.Youmaywanttoaskafriendorrelativetosuggestsomeonetheyhaveused.Don’thesitatetoaskforreferencesanddon’thesitatetogetbidsfromseveralplumbers.Mostplumberswill

chargeafeeformakinganinitialvisit.Ifyouaregoingtogetbidsfromseveralplumbers,checkwiththembeforetheymakethetriptoyourhouse.Toprotectyourself,youshouldhaveawrittenagreementfortheworktobeperformed. Eventhoughwerecommendthatyouperformroutinemaintenancetasks,itmaybenecessarytocallaplumberforcertainitems.Ifyouarenotcomfortablewithperformingroutinemaintenance,thenyoushouldcallaplumber.Youwillhavespentlessmoneyonensuringthatyourplumbingsystemisproperlymaintainedratherthanwaitingtocallsomeonewhenyouhaveadisaster.Usecommonsensewithyourroutinemaintenanceandwithnecessaryrepairsthatoccuroveraperiodoftime.

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Electricityisanessentialutilitythatoperatesthemajorityofourappliances,ourlightingand,insomecases,ourheatingandcoolingsystems.Itisautilitythatwehavelearnedtodependon,andwefinditmostaggravatingwhenourelectricalserviceisinterrupted.All electrical work and inspections should be performed by a licensed electrician only.Workingonyourelectricalcircuitryisdangerousandcanbedeadlyeventosomeonewhounderstandshowelectricityworks. Eventhoughwedonotrecommendthatyouworkonanyelectricalimprovements,therearesomethingsaboutelectricityyoushouldunderstand.Youneedtoknowhowandwhereelectricityentersyourhouse.Doesyourelectricityenterthehousethroughanoverheadwireordoesitenteryourhousethroughanundergroundconduit?Theelectriccompanyisresponsibleforprovidingelectricitytothemeter.Oncetheelectricitypassesthroughtheelectricmeter,itbecomesyourrespon-sibility.Theelectricityisthentiedintoanelectricalservicepanel.Onceinsidetheelectricalservicepanel,electricityis

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distributedtothedifferentcircuitswithinyourhouse.

ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS Yourinspectionofyourelectricalsystemwillbeentirelyvisual.Donotinsertorprobeanytypeoftoolintoanyelectricalpanelorconnection.

Service Entrance -Ifyoureceiveyourelectricalservicefromanoverheadwire,youneedtomakesurethattheservicelineisproperlyconnectedintothehouse.Theelectricalcableshouldbehighenoughthatnoonecanreachitfromthegroundorfromanyattachedsteps.Youwillalsowanttomakesurethatthecableisnotinthepathofanyfallinglimbs.Duringicestormsandheavywindandrains,itisnotuncommonforatreeorsomebranchestofall.Anelectricalcablewillnotholdafallingtree.Instead,thecablewillsnaporbepulledawayfromthehouse.Whenthishappens,youarewithoutelectricityuntiltheelectricalcompanycanrestoretheline. Mostresidentialservicehas240voltpower.Ifyourhomeisolder,youmayhave120volts.Youmightconsiderupdatingyourelectricalcircuits.Again,thisisajobforaprofessionalelectrician.

Electrical Service Panel -Itismostimportantthatyouknowwhereyourelectricalservicepanelislocated.GotothesectioninthisHomeMaintenanceGuideforimportantnumbersandnotesandwritedownwheretheelectricityentersyourhouse. Withintheelectricalservicepanelyouwillfindbreakersorfusesthatprotecttheelectricalcurrentagainstshortcircuits.

Youwillalsoseeamainelectricaldisconnectswitchthatwillturnoffallelectricitycomingintothehouse.Oncetheelectricityenterstheservicepanelitisthenbrokendownintocircuitsthatprovideelectricitytospecificappliancesorareasofyourhouse.Makesurethateachbreakerorcircuitislabeledastowhereitisprovidingelectricity. Whenacircuitbecomesoverloadedwithelectricaldemand,thebreakerwilldisconnect.Whenthisoccurs,youshouldfirstturnofftheappliancesandlightsinthatcircuit.Thengotoyourelectricalservicepanelandfindwhichswitchhasbeendiscon-nected.Reconnectorflipthecircuittoseeiftheelectricityisrestoredtothatparticularcircuit.Ifyouflipthecircuitanditdisconnectsorflipsbackyouhaveoverloadedyourcircuit.Trynottooverloadyourcircuits.Alwaysusecommonsensewhendealingwithelectricity.

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Youwillalsowanttoinspectyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureitisgrounded.Theservicepanelshouldbegroundedeitherintothegroundorattachedtoametalcold-watersupplypipe.Homesbuiltsince1978arerequiredtohavebothgroundingconnections.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectyourhousefromlightning.

Electrical Wiring -Electricalwiringshouldbeconcealedbehindthewall.However,sometimesitisnecessarytorunelectricalwiringoutsideofthewall.Whenthisoccurs,allwiringmustberunthroughaconduittoprotectthewiring.Youshouldalsonoticethataswiringbecomesolditwillcrackandexposethemetalinsidethewirethatconductstheelectricity.Thisold,faultywiringisafirehazardandshouldbereplaced.Donotattempttoreplaceanywiringyourself.Alicensedprofessionalelectricianunderstandsthecurrentandcircuitrequirements.Eachyearwereadaboutnumerousfiresthathavebeenstartedduetofaultywiringthatcouldhavebeenprevented.

Room-by-Room Inspections -Asyouconductyourroom-by-roominspection,noticetheelectricalplugs.Sincethe1960s,buildershavebeeninstallingoutletswhereoneslotislargerthantheother.Youwillalsonoticethatmanufacturersaremakingoneprongofanelectricalpluglarger. TheGFCIoutletisanotheroutletdesignedtoprotectpeoplefromsevereelectricshock.Itmonitorsthecurrentanddisconnectsthecircuitifitsensesonimbalanceintheelectricalcurrent.

GFCIoutletsarerequiredinbathrooms,kitchenswithin6feetofasinkandoutdoors.YouwillknowifyouhaveaGFCIoutletbecausetherewillbearedbuttonlabeledtestandresetorTandR.YoushouldtestyourGFCIatleastonceamonthbypressingthetestbuttonandresettingit. Youcantesteveryoutletinyourhousebyusingacircuittesterorasmalllamp.Acircuittestercanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Acircuittesterindicatesifanoutlethasenergyandifitiscorrectlywired.Again,ifyouhaveelectricalproblems,don’tattempttomakethecorrectionyourself.Callalicensedprofessionalelectriciantodoyourelectricalimprovements. Asyouinspecteachroom,checkthelightswitchesandthelightfixturesbyturningtheswitchesonandofftoseeiftheyoperateproperly.Ifyouhaveanylightfixturesthathavehangingcordsfromtheceiling,checkthewiringveryclosely.Ifthewiringand/orinsulationaroundthewiringiscracked,youneedtohaveitreplaced. Extensioncordscanalsobeahazard.Ifyouhavetousethem,yourhomeprobablyrequiresadditionalelectricaloutlets.Extensioncordsshouldneverbesecuredwithnailsorstaples,runthroughwalls,underdoorsorundercarpets.Also,thesizeofthewireofanextensioncordshouldneverbethinnerthanthecordoftheapplianceitserves.

ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE Checkyourmonthlyelectricbillforsubstantialincreases.Remember,youarebilledontheamountofelectricityused. The best way to reduce your electric bill is to reduce the amount of

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29Electricity

electricity used. Simplethingsthatwillhelpareturningoffthelightswhenyouleavearoomandturningoffapplianceswhennotinuse.Also,rememberthatheatingandcoolingwithelectricitywillsubstantiallyincreaseyourelectricbill.Ifyoustillthinkyourelectricbillishigh,youcancontacttheelectriccompanyandhavethemcheckthemeter. Thereareseveralthingsthatyouwillneedtocheckfromtimetotime.Everyspringorfallyouwillneedtochecktheoverheadservicelinethatconnectstoyourhouse.Makesurethattreesandlimbsareasafedistanceawayfromtheline.Ifyouneedtoprunetreesaroundtheoverheadserviceline,contactaprofessionaltreepruningserviceor,insomecases,yourelectricutilitycompanywilltrimuponrequest. Checkyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureyoucanlocatethepanel.Onceayearyoushouldexercisethebreakersbyflippingthemoffandonbyhandtomakesurethattheywilltripwhennecessary.

Overloadedcircuitsareoftenindicatedbyflickeringordimminglightswhenappliancesareturnedonandbyfrequentlyblowingfusesortrippingcircuitbreakers.Ifyoufrequentlytripthecircuitbreakers,thismayindicatethatyoudonothaveadequateserviceforyourelectricaldemand,orthatyouareoverloadingthatoneparticularcircuit.Trymovingappliancesandlightstootheroutlets. Onceagain,ifyouneedelectricalmaintenanceorelectricalwork,hireaprofessionallicensedelectrician.Electricityisacomplicatedutility,andyouwillwantsomeonethatunderstandshowitworks.

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30 Electricity

Heating/Air-Conditioning

Systems

Heating/Air-Conditioning

Systems

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Heatingahouseisessentialduringcoldweather.Ifyourhouseisnotheated,thenalltheothersystemsinyourhouseareatrisk.Pipeswillfreeze,electriccircuitswillbecomeoverloaded,andyouareputtingyourselfatrisk.Ifyourecentlyhadyourhouserehabil-itatedoranewhousewasconstructed,yourheatingsystemshouldbeadequateforthesizeofyourhouse.Aswithyourelectricalsystem,theinspectiononyourheatingsystemshouldbeconductedbyaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompany.However,youcanuseyoursightandsmellforinspectionsandtodetectproblems.

HEATING INSPECTION Therearemanydifferenttypesofheatingsystemsbuteachsystemisbasedonthetypeofenergyyouuse.Determinewhattypeofheatingsystemyouhaveandwhattypeofenergyyouareusingtoheatyourhouse.It

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couldbegas-fired,coal-fired,electricheat,wood-burning,steamheatoracombinationofthese.Determineifyouhaveacentralheatingsystemorifyourhouseisheatedbyindividualunits.Onceyouhavedeterminedthetypeofheatingsystemyouhave,youshouldhaveaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompanyinspectyourunit. Ifyouhaveacentralheatingsystem,thenyouwillhaveacentralthermostatthatgivesyouatemperaturereading.Asthetemperaturechangeswithinyourhouse,theheatwillturnonandofftokeepthetemperatureoftheairconstant.Thecoldertheweather,themoredemandsthatwillbeplacedonyourheatingsystem.Thelesscoldairallowed

inyourhouse,thelessheatyouneedandtheloweryouheatingbillwillbe.Forthatreason,it’simportantthatyourhouseisinsulated.

HEATING MAINTENANCE Heatingandsystemsareexpensivetoreplace.Forthatreason,werecommendthatyouhaveyourlicensedheatingsystemprofessionalinspectyoursystemonceayear.IfyouwilldothisinSeptemberorOctober,youshouldhaveaproblem-freewinter. Ifyouhaveelectricalheat,oneoftheeasiestmaintenancetasksthateachhomeownercandoischange or clean the filter every month. Bychangingthe

32 Heating Air-Conditioning

filtersyouallowyourheatingsystemtooperatemoreefficiently.Thiswillsaveyoumoney. Youcanconserveheatbyinsulatingyourhousewithstormwindowsandstormdoors,atticinsulationandevendo-it-yourselfplasticseals.Insulatingwindowsanddoorswillreducetheamountofheatlossfromyourhouse.Thiswillalsoreduceyourenergybillandsaveyoumoney. Ifyousmellgasoroil,youshouldimmediatelyturnoffyourheatingsystemandcallthegasoroilcompany.Don’ttrytomaketherepairsyourself.Today’sgasfiredheatingsystemshaveasafetymeasureinstalledsothatifyourpilotlightgoesout,thenthegasautomaticallyshutsoff.Youwillknowifthesystemisn’tworkingbecauseyourhousewillgetcolderandcolder. Ifyouhavebaseboardheatorawallmountedheater,youshouldvacuumtheheateronceamonth.Besurethattheunitisturnedoffbeforeyoustartyourcleaning.Youshouldalsokeepobjectsfromcomingintodirectcontactwiththeheater.Thenewerunitshaveprotectivescreensthatkeepanythingfromtouchingthecoils. Everyheatingsystemisdifferent.Forthatreason,useonlyalicensedheatingandairconditioningprofessionalwhoisfamiliarwithyoursystemforroutineinspections,repairs,andmaintenance.

AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Therearetwoprimarytypesofair-conditioningsystemsusedinhomestoday:(1)centralair-conditioningsystemspoweredbyelectricityorgas,and(2)electricwindowunits.Thereareseveraldifferentvariationsofcentral

air-conditioningunitsandsomearecombinedwiththeheatingsystem.Aswithheatingsystems,alicensedheatingandair-conditioningprofessionalshouldperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenanceofthesystem.

AIR-CONDITIONING INSPECTIONS Again,youshouldonlyattempttoconductavisualinspection.Ifyouhaveproblemscallaprofessional.Yourair-conditionershouldbeinspectedannually,usuallyduringMayorJunewhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove60degrees.Aswithyourheatingsystem,youneedtoknowwhatkindofair-conditioningunityouhaveandwhattypeofenergytousetooperatethesystem. Withacentralair-conditioningsystem,youcandetermineifitisfunctioningproperlybyasimpletest.Holda12-inchpieceofyarnovertheair-conditioningvent.Thebreezeshouldbestrongenoughtomaketheyarnflutter.Dependingonthetemperature,youmaywanttoadjusttheopeningsoftheairvents.Forexample,thesideofthehousethatisgettingafternoonsunwillrequiremorecoolingduetotheexteriorheat. Awindowunitairconditionershouldbeinspectedonceayearwhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove65degrees.Eachspringyoushouldchecktheunittomakesurethatitissecurelyattachedinthewindows.Novinesorotherobstructionsshouldbewrappedaroundtheoutsidecase.Inspectthecaulkingaroundthewindowunit,boththeinsideandtheoutsideofthehouse.Makesurethatanyolddecayingor

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33Heating Air-Conditioning

crackingcaulkingisreplaced. Awindowunitairconditioneruseselectricitytocool.Readthedirectionsandmakesurethatyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateyoursystem.Mostwindowunitswillhaveatleastathree-prongplug.Nevertwistorcutofftheroundprongtoforcetheplugtofityourelectricalreceptacleorcircuit. Anelectriciancandetermineifyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateawindowunit.Animproperelectricalconnectionmaydamagetheunitorcauseanelectricalfire.

AIR-CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE Youwillconserveenergyifyouwillsetyourunitononetemperatureandleaveitthere.Manypeoplewillcutofftheircentralair-conditioningduringthedaywhentheyarenothome.Thisactuallyismorecostlythansettingtheunitatonetemperatureandlettingitremainatthattemperature. Makeahabitofchangingorcleaningyourairfiltersatleastonceamonth.Thisallowsyourunittofunctionatitsmaximumcapacityandwillkeeptheairinyourhomecleaner.Knowwheretheair-returnventislocatedanddonotblockthefrontofthevent.

Allair-conditioningunitswillhavecondensationwhichwillresultinwaterdischargingfromtheairconditioner.Youshouldhaveapipefordrainagetotheexteriorofthehouse.Thesedrainscanbecomecloggedwithalgaeordebris.Thedrainlinesshouldbecleanedoutwithyourroutineannualinspection.Ifyouhaveawindowunit,youwillwanttomakesurethatthewaterdrainstotheoutsideofthehouse.Sometimesawindowunitwillshift,allowingthedrainagepipetodrainintoyourhome. Yourheatingandcoolsystemsaresospecializedthatallroutineinspections,repairsandmaintenanceshouldbeperformedbyalicensedheatingandcoolingexpert.However,youcanlearntorecognizeproblemsearlyonbeforetheybecomemajorproblemsthataremorecostlyandtimeconsumingtomake.Anannualinspectionofbothyourheatingandair-conditioningwilleliminateanumberofaggravatingproblems.

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34 Heating/Air-Conditioning

Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine

Inspection Checklist

Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine

Inspection Checklist

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Herearesomeroutinemaintenanceandinspectiontasksthatshouldbeconductedonyourhouse.Makeahabitofperformingthesetaskseachmonthandmakingthenecessaryrepairs.Thiswillreducethepossibilityofexpensiverepairsandmaintenanceinthelongrun.

JANUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3

Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectheatingsystemforsafety.nnn Checktheatticforcondensationduringcolderdays.

FEBRUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3

Cleanandreplaceairfilters.Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.Vacuumcoilsonrefrigerator.Makesureeveryelectricalplughasaprotectivecover.Makesurethatallelectricalwiresareunderthefloor.Makesureallelectricalfuseboxes,junctionboxesandswitchesarecovered.

MARCHYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthefoundationofthehouse.nnn Cleanthegutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanuptheyardfromthewinterstorms.nnn Removedeadandfallentreesandlimbs.nnn Checkgasconnections.nnn Drainyourhotwaterheater.

APRILYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checktheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.nnn Replaceorrepairthescreensofthedoorsandwindows.nnn Inspecttheroofforlooseordamagedroofingmaterials.nnn Checkforanysignsofwaterdamageordampness.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries

MAYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkfortermitesandotherpests.nnn Checkthepaintedsurfacesofthehouse.nnn Checktheroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutguttersanddownspouts.

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36 Monthly Checklist

JUNEYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthebasementfordampness.nnn Checkthelocksandlatchesonalldoorsandwindows.

JULYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectandmakenecessaryrepairstoflooringthroughouttheentirehouse.nnn Checkallstairwaystomakesuretheyaresecure.

AUGUSTYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Washandcleaninteriorwalls.nnn Makenecessaryrepairstoanydamagedwalls.nnn Drainyourwaterheater.

SEPTEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkinsulationinyourhouse.nnn Checkinsulationintheattic.nnn Checktheexteriorwalls/sidingofyourhouse.nnn Checkthefoundation.

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37Monthly Checklist

OCTOBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Secureweatherstrippingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Replaceorrepairanydamagedglassonwindowsordoors.nnn Cleangutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanchimneyandmakenecessaryrepairs.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries.

NOVEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Cleandeadplants,leavesandgarbagefromaroundthehouseandyard.nnn Checkgasconnectionstomakesuretherearenoleaks.nnn Checkyourroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutthedownspoutsandgutters.nnn Insulateallexposedwaterpipestopreventfreezing.

DECEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkallfaucets,hosesandvalvesforleaks.nnn Checkforanyexposedelectricalwires.

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38 Monthly Checklist

Caulking -Caulkingisthesealingofopenjoints,gapsandseamsinexteriorwallcovering.Caulkingkeepstheexteriorairandwaterfromenteringthehouse.Mostdoorsandwindowsarecaulkedaroundtherimoftheopening.

Conduit -Conduitgenerallyreferstoatubeorductthatcoverselectricalwiringwithinthewallsoralongexteriorsurfaces.

Crawl Space -Thespacelocatedbetweenthegroundandthesubflooringofthefirstfloor.Generally,thisareaisbaresoilandisanunheatedpartofthehouse.

Downspouts -Downspoutsarethatpartofthegutterthatcarrywaterofftheroofandawayfromthehouseandfoundation.

Electrical Service Panel -Theelectricalservicepanelisaboxthathousesthepointwheretheelectricalserviceentersthehouseandisdistributedtotheelectricalsystem.Itisusuallylocatedneartheelectricmeterbox.Theelectricmeterboxisthatpointwheretheelectriccompanydeliverstheelectricitytothehouse.

Flashing -Flashingissheetmetalorsomeotherdurablematerialthatisusedtosealjointsinroofs.Generallyusedwhenonematerialmeetsanother,forexamplewhenshinglesmeetbricks.

Footer -Afooteristhebaseofafoundation.Afooterisplacedonsolidsoilandthefoundationisbuiltupfromthefooter.

Grade -Thegradeofthegroundorsurfaceistheangleoftheground.

Grounded -Anelectricalwireisgroundedbyrunningarodintotheearthandbyattachingawiretoametalcoldwatersupplypipe.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectthehousefromlightning.Groundingpermitsstationaryappliancessuchaswashingmachines,clothesdryers,refrigerators,rangesandmicrowaveovenstobeusedsafely.

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39Glossary

Gutters -Agutterisinstalledalongtheedgeoftherooftocatchtherainsothatitwillcarryittothedownspoutandawayfromthehouse.

Jamb -Thejambistheverticalorsidepieceofthedoororwindow.

Joist -Ajoistorfloorjoististheparallelbeamsetfromwalltowalltosupportafloor.

Roof valley -Theroofvalleyiswheretwosectionsofaroofcometogethertoformavalley.Avalleyisgenerallyametalmaterialthatisplacedovertheshinglestochannelthewatertotheguttersanddownspouts.

Roof Vents -Roofventsareventsthatareinstalledtoallowmoisturetoescapefrominsidethehouse.

Sash -Thesashistheframethatholdstheglasspaneofawindowordoor.

Settling -Settlingoccursinahouseovertimewhenthegroundunderthehouseshifts.Ahousecansettlebecauseofpoorfoundation,useofheavyequipment,blastingnearby,earthquakesand/orundergroundwatersources.

Storm Windows and Storm Doors -Astormwindoworstormdoorisanadditionalglasscoveringinstalledoveradoororwindow.Astormwindowordoorreducestheheatlossfromahouse.

Subflooring -Thesubflooringisthesurfacethatisunderthefinishedfloor.Themostcommonexamplesofsubflooringarewood,concrete,andmortarbeds.

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40 Glossary