If you are a first time home buyer or even having a home for long, you perhaps very well aware of the heat of maintaining a home. There is no doubt that maintaining a home is an expensive proposition since with a home a bunch of other costs come along too. However, there are ways to cut expenses with some DIY home maintenance tips.
If you are a renting a place, you have never have to bother about the dusty chimneys, rusty water heaters, ineffective furnaces, maintaining the grass, and clogged gutters. But owning a home means spending both your time and hard-earned money on it.
Now, with fall here and winter knocking on the door, it’s time to take precaution to safeguard your home from the cold bite. Check out the following 5 ways to save some in home maintenance this fall.
1) Change the filter of the furnace: Many people have no idea that furnaces do use filters and moreover, they need replacements. A clean furnace filter helps enhance energy efficiency, prevents malfunctions, and even reduces dust. If the filter is dirty, there would be less transit for the air to pass through, which will force the system to use more energy to do the same work. According to a recent study, around 42% of your home’s energy use goes into heating. So anything you do to increase energy efficiency can help you save.
2) Get your chimney inspect and washed if necessary: Nothing can be more cosy than sitting beside a fireplace on a cold, foggy night. If you are planning to get the most of it in the coming months, your top priority should be to get your chimney checked and if needed, washed by a professional. The entire package should come under $150-$200 and let me tell you, this is worth your investment. Check if your fireplace smells. It’s an indicator that there’s creosote buildup.
3) Cleanup your gutter: With the winter, rain usually arrives too. This means you need to get a bit untidy and clean up the downspouts and gutters. This would drain the rainwaters away from the main foundation and help avoid any damage to the house’s most important structure.
4) Trim down tree branches: Shred down the overhanging tree branches near your roof or powerline. With rain, there are chances of severe wind, which can topple trees, down power lines, and as a result, it’s your house that might suffer the damages. To prevent storm damage, it’s wise to trim overgrown trees - especially if those infiltrate your house’s roof. This will also help slow down the growth of algae, mold and lichen, those shorten the lifespan of the roof of your home.
5) Seal any openings: Seal any gaps and cracks so that no unwanted animals can creep through the openings and take shelter in your abode. Extensively check for any opening in your foundation, walls, attic, windows and doors. If you find any, immediately seal those with caulk. Besides ceasing seamless entry, this will also help prevent heat loss, which in turn also save you some electricity bills.
These are not the only ones. Here are few more than the energy.gov suggests to maximise your energy efficiency int he coming months.
