Investing in efficient gutter protection, keeping your foundation from flooding, proper painting and repainting – these are just some of the things that you have to do to ensure that your home is properly maintained and protected from weather (especially rainwater) damage. Indeed, your home is made intact and solid by various installations and fixtures that, when improperly maintained or neglected, could cause massive and expensive damage down the line.
Dry Foundation
Remember that your downspouts aren’t just intended to allow rainwater runoff from your roof to gently fall to the ground, but they’re designed to keep water from drenching your foundation, or your basement. You have to inspect your downspouts regularly, especially after a bad storm, as they might have incurred some damages which would lead water where it shouldn’t.
Painting Wood
When you’re painting or repainting your wooden fence, deck, siding or other exterior fixture, make sure that you apply a coating of primer first to protect the wood. To be even more efficient, try removing all traces of old paint, and sand the wood surface before applying primer; this will make it more resistant to moisture.
On Plumbing
“eHow.com advices that as much as you can, you should avoid DIY plumbing jobs:
Attempting home maintenance yourself can save you money, but more often than not it leads to disaster. A botched plumbing job can flood your house with water or — worse — with sewage.
According to the Daily Mail, even installing a new washing machine should be left to the pros. When homeowners connect their washers to surface water drains instead of the waste pipes, it could send dirty water and detergents into local streams.“
Gutter Cleaning
You should see to it that you get your gutters cleaned regularly, especially in autumn and winter when there’s a high risk of snow or debris clogging up your gutters. Of course, if you don’t want to get up on your roof for a clearing session every few months or so, you can always buy a reliable gutter protection system like Gutter Helmet® that can help improve the flow of water into your gutters by preventing debris buildup.
Knowing a few tips on how to clean and maintain your home will help you avoid falling into any of the mistakes which end up making things worse for you by having to spend for major repairs or replacements. You can also hire a reliable contractor who can help you with your home repair or maintenance needs.
(Article Information and Image from FAQ: The Biggest Maintenance Mistakes Homeowners Make, eHow)
