Agent Blogs

Once you own a home constant maintenance is needed to keep your home and investment in good condition and often helps you avoid more the costly crisis management approch to home maintainence and repairs.
Spring is the perfect time to moniter and clean and routine maintenance in and around the house. When you do this on a spring /fall timetable ypu will be aware of problems and have time to get quotes and do research before the issue becomes aproblem that needs immediate attention. Below is a schedule I found on the CMHC site. This site is fantastic for information. It is a Canadian Government Site – so no product or retail outlet is putting their spin on things. I always direct my clients to this site
www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca

 Maintenance Schedule
Regular Maintenance is the Key
Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices are the best way to protect your investment in your home. Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it is important to get into the habit of doing them. Establish a routine for yourself, and you will find the work is easy to accomplish and not very time-consuming. A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur. If necessary, use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later.
By following the information noted here, you will learn about protecting your investment and how to help keep your home a safe and healthy place to live.
If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or do not have the necessary equipment, for example a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified handyperson to help you.
Seasonal Home Maintenance
Most home maintenance activities are seasonal. Spring is the time to assess winter damage, start repairs and prepare for warmer months. Over the summer, there are a number of indoor and outdoor maintenance tasks to look after, such as repairing walkways and steps, painting and checking your chimney and roof.
While most maintenance is seasonal, there are some things you should do on a frequent basis year-round:

Make sure air vents indoors and outdoors (intake, exhaust and forced air) are not blocked by snow or debris.

Check and clean range hood filters on a monthly basis.

Test ground fault circuit interrupter(s) on electrical outlets monthly by pushing the test button, which should then cause the reset button to pop up.

If there are young children in the house, make sure electrical outlets are equipped with safety plugs.

Regularly check the house for safety hazards, such as a loose handrail, lifting or buckling flooring, inoperative smoke detectors, and so on.
Timing of the seasons varies not only from one area of Canada to another but also from year to year in a given area. For this reason, we have not identified the months for each season. The maintenance schedule presented here is, instead, a general guide for you to follow. The actual timing is left for you to decide, and you may want to further divide the list of items for each season into months.
Spring

After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, carefully test the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it is not stuck. Caution: This test may release hot water that can cause burns.

Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.

Have fireplace or wood stove and chimney cleaned and serviced as needed.

Shut down, drain and clean furnace humidifier, and close the furnace humidifier damper on units with central air conditioning.

Switch on power to air conditioning and check system. Have it serviced every two or three years.

Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, if applicable.

Check dehumidifier and drain — clean if necessary.

Turn OFF gas furnace and fireplace pilot lights where possible.

Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.

Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries.

Clean windows, screens and hardware, and replace storm windows with screens. Check screens first and repair or replace if needed.

Open valve to outside hose connection after all danger of frost has passed.

Examine the foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture, and repair as required.

Ensure sump pump is operating properly before the spring thaw sets in. Ensure discharge pipe is connected and allows water to drain away from the foundation.

Re-level any exterior steps or decks that moved as a result of frost or settling.

Check for and seal off any holes in exterior cladding that could be an entry point for small pests, such as bats and squirrels.

Check eavestroughs and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions, and ensure water flows away from your foundation.

Clear all drainage ditches and culverts of debris.

Repair and paint fences as necessary — allow wood fences to dry adequately before tackling this task.

Undertake spring landscape maintenance and, if necessary, fertilize young trees.
Summer

Monitor basement humidity and avoid relative humidity levels above 60 per cent. Use a dehumidifier to maintain relative humidity below 60 per cent.

Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, and clean or replace ventilation system filters if necessary.

Check basement pipes for condensation or dripping and, if necessary, take corrective action; for example, reduce humidity and/or insulate cold water pipes.

Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.

If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.

Deep clean carpets and rugs.

Vacuum bathroom fan grille.

Disconnect the duct connected to your clothes dryer, and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside.

Check security of all guardrails and handrails.

Check smooth functioning of all windows, and lubricate as required.

Inspect window putty on outside of glass panes of older houses, and replace if needed.

Sand and touch up paint on windows and doors.

Lubricate door hinges, and tighten screws as needed.

Check for and replace damaged caulking and weatherstripping around mechanical and electrical services, windows and doorways, including the doorway between the garage and the house. See the About Your House fact sheet Attached Garages and Indoor Air Quality for more information on preventing garage-to-house air transfer.

Lubricate garage door hardware, and ensure it is operating properly.

Summer

Monitor basement humidity and avoid relative humidity levels above 60 per cent. Use a dehumidifier to maintain relative humidity below 60 per cent.

Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, and clean or replace ventilation system filters if necessary.

Check basement pipes for condensation or dripping and, if necessary, take corrective action; for example, reduce humidity and/or insulate cold water pipes.

Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.

If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.

Deep clean carpets and rugs.

Vacuum bathroom fan grille.

Disconnect the duct connected to your clothes dryer, and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside.

Check security of all guardrails and handrails.

Check smooth functioning of all windows, and lubricate as required.

Inspect window putty on outside of glass panes of older houses, and replace if needed.

Sand and touch up paint on windows and doors.

Lubricate door hinges, and tighten screws as needed.

Check for and replace damaged caulking and weatherstripping around mechanical and electrical services, windows and doorways, including the doorway between the garage and the house. See the About Your House fact sheet Attached Garages and Indoor Air Quality for more information on preventing garage-to-house air transfer.

Lubricate garage door hardware, and ensure it is operating properly.

Lubricate automatic garage door opener motor, chain and other moving parts, and ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is properly adjusted.

Inspect electrical service lines for secure attachment where they enter your house, and make sure there is no water leakage into the house along the electrical conduit. Check for overhanging tree branches that may need to be removed.

Check exterior wood siding and trim for signs of deterioration; clean, replace or refinish as needed.

Remove any plants that contact — and roots that penetrate — the siding or brick.

From the ground, check the general condition of the roof and note any sagging that could indicate structural problems requiring further investigation from inside the attic. Note the condition of shingles for possible repair or replacement, and examine roof flashings, such as at chimney and roof joints, for any signs of cracking or leakage.

Check the chimney cap and the caulking between the cap and the chimney.

Repair driveway and walkways as needed.

Repair any damaged steps.