Your home is a significant investment and needs to be taken care of. From the plumbing and the HVAC to the roof and the foundation, there are many areas of your home that will require periodic maintenance. To ensure that your home and all its systems perform correctly, you must set aside money and time devoted to the upkeep of your house.
As the homeowner, you will be responsible for maintaining your home. If you purchase a condominium or townhouse, you should check with HOA or your homeowner agreement to determine what responsibilities fall on you. Additionally, you might need to hire professional technicians to perform your routine maintenance. However you choose to service your home, you’ll want to ensure that it is done regularly to prevent costly damage and repairs. As an example, your air conditioning system can last 15 years or longer. With proper maintenance, however, many of these systems can go for 25 years. Depending on the structure or system, you should perform regular maintenance on your home every 6 to 12 months. Let’s take a look at how often you should be performing home maintenance.
Major Systems
The major systems in your home include the HVAC, plumbing system, and electrical. Your home remains functional because of these primary systems. As the lifelines of your home, you must ensure that these systems are operational and free from significant problems or damage. Performing routine maintenance on your systems usually requires professional service and inspection.
Your plumbing system is responsible for all of the water that enters and exits your home. With regular care and maintenance, problems from mold to water damage to clogged pipes and drains can usually be avoided. The cost of emergency plumbing repairs can be very high, so it’s best to catch any problems before they become significant issues. Depending on your area, searching for the best plumber in Chicago, for example, will help you find qualified plumbers. A professional plumber can perform drain cleaning and check all sinks, showers, faucets, and fixtures. They will also inspect your water heater and the water lines in your home. You’ll want to have this done at least once a year to prevent any plumbing issues.
Additionally, it would be best to have preventative maintenance done on your HVAC system at least once a year. To preserve the full lifespan of an HVAC system, you should have professional technicians from a company like Cool Rays Air Conditioning perform the service. They can check the components of your heating and AC unit and also inspect your ductwork to ensure that you have good indoor air quality. Regular maintenance will provide efficient cooling and heating and help prevent costly AC repair or replacements.
Home Structures
Another critical area of your home that requires regular care is the major structures, such as the foundation and the roof. You’ll want to examine the support beams and columns and check the masonry walls for cracks or weakened mortar. Water leaks in the roof or foundation can wreak havoc on the soundness of your home and need to be caught and repaired early. The shingles on your roof need to be free from cracks or damage to protect your home. You can seek the help of a professional contractor to help you perform an inspection at least once a year. Additionally, you should clean your gutters and downspouts every six months to keep them in working order.
Your home is probably your biggest investment, and you’ll want to protect it with regular care and maintenance. Just like your car requires frequent oil changes and tune-ups, your house also requires annual attention. Inspecting and servicing the systems and structure of your home is a best practice that helps prevent damage and keeps repair costs down.
