Home Maintenance Checklist: Getting And Keeping Home Repairs Under Control

(HIT) - Many homeowners find home repair to be difficult work. Yet for some the job is even harder because they can't decide what needs to be done or where to begin. How can you fix a chronically wet basement, for example, if you don't know where or how the water is coming in?

A professional home inspector may be able to give you the answer. Like a doctor who uses various symptoms to diagnose an illness, a home inspector evaluates all the clues in your home, using a checklist in most cases, to provide an objective evaluation about the repairs that need to be done. Yet unlike a repair contractor who also hopes to get your business, a home inspector who abides by the professional standards of the American Society of Home Inspectors cannot bid on doing the repairs and has no vested interest in creating unnecessary work.

There are many types of house maintenance problems that regular home inspections can help manage, ranging from roof leaks to basement leaks, from inefficient heating systems to inadequate electrical systems, even energy conservation. It’s interesting to note that in a survey of its members, ASHI found that four of the top ten maintenance problems most commonly found are directly related to the damaging effects of water:

1. Improper surface grading and drainage was reported as the most frequently found problem, and is responsible for the most common of household maladies: water penetration of the basement or crawlspace.
2. Roof leakage, reported by survey participants as the second most common problem, is usually caused by old or damaged shingles or improper flashing, and leads to cosmetic and, sometimes, structural damage.
3. Plumbing problems, such as old or incompatible piping materials, faulty fixtures, and improperly vented waste lines, can cause considerable interior damage if not corrected.
4. Exterior flaws in a home's windows, doors, and wall surfaces are often responsible for water and air penetration, and usually can be remedied with proper caulking and weather-stripping.

Other home maintenance problems often found during regular home inspections include:

1. Improper electrical wiring, which includes situations such as insufficient electrical service to the house, inadequate overload protection, and amateur, often dangerous, wiring connections;
2. Heating system problems, such as broken or malfunctioning operation controls, blocked chimneys, and unsafe exhaust disposal;
3. Poor overall maintenance, demonstrated for example by cracked, peeling, or dirty painted surfaces, crumbling masonry, makeshift wiring or plumbing, and broken fixtures or appliances;
4. Structural problems involving foundation walls, floor joists, rafters, and window and door headers;
5. Poor ventilation, caused by over-sealing the home, which results in excessive interior moisture and the rotting or premature failure of both structural and non-structural components.

Whether you choose to hire a professional, or are planning to inspect your home yourself, it’s important to look for the following potential maintenance issues in your home. Here's a checklist that can help:

• Inspect the roof, using binoculars, for damaged, loose, or missing shingles. Repair as needed.
• Check the flashing around roof stacks, vents, skylights, and chimneys as possible sources of leakage. Repair as needed.
• Look for leaking, misaligned, or damaged gutters, downspouts, hangers, gutter guards, and strainers. Clean the gutters after all the leaves have fallen.
• Cut back tree limbs growing on or over the roof, as well as shrubbery growing against the house, to prevent damage to the home's exterior.
• Check all doors and windows for proper caulking and weather-stripping. Remove any worn or decayed materials and apply new material as needed.
• Drain exterior water lines, hose bibbs, sprinklers, and pool equipment. (Do not leave hose connected to bibb.)
• Have the heating system serviced annually (Fall is the best time).

And here are some important home maintenance tasks that need to be attended to to keep your home in top shape:

• Seal your home against heat infiltration by caulking and weatherstripping around doors and windows. This is an inexpensive procedure that can help you save on air conditioning bills.
• Install screens on windows and doors.
• Check your home insulation levels to make sure they meet the latest energy recommendations. If you are unsure how to do this, or do not have the time to upgrade insulation levels, call an insulation contractor. He'll check attic and crawl spaces and recommend high quality insulation products like CertainTeed's Insul Safe III(r) Fiber Glass Blown-In Insulation. This product can even be installed in uninsulated sidewalls of older homes.
• Inspect and service your air conditioning system at the start of each cooling season for safety, efficiency and economy.
• Maintain aluminum and vinyl siding by washing with a garden hose or a power sprayer with a detergent solution.
• Wrap your water pipes and ducts with fiber glass insulation in any exposed areas such as unheated crawl spaces.
• Check and care for your deck by scrubbing it with a bristled scrub brush dipped in a solution of warm water and ordinary household detergent.
• Repair and seal your asphalt driveway every three to five years to protect it from moisture, chemicals and the effects of weather.

Remember, prevention is the best cure. Nature can wreak havoc on a home, and a hot house can cost you plenty in fuel bills.

Homeowners who feel overwhelmed or insufficiently experienced to evaluate their home's maintenance and repair priorities might consider getting some impartial, expert advice from a professional home inspector. To find a qualified and reliable inspector, look for a Certified Member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, the leading professional association that sets qualification and performance standards for the profession. You can find a local ASHI member by writing to ASHI at 85 West Algonquin Road, Suite 360, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, or by visiting the organization online at www.ashi.org.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center