August Home Maintenance Checklist

If you’ve got school aged children, then you’re probably right smack dab in the middle of the going back to school craze. If not, hopefully you’re getting a chance to enjoy this wonderful, albeit hot, summer. Either way, don’t forget about maintaining your home to avoid future problems down the line. As usual, we’ve made a handy checklist for you and, for your convenience, we have turned this checklist into a pdf so that you can print it out.

If you’re just joining our monthly home maintenance checklist series, you should read up on the monthly home maintenance items.

August Home Maintenance items

Amidst trying to get the last drops of summer in, don’t forget to keep up with the maintenance on your home.

• Clean out main pipes
  • With all of the heat we’ve been having, trees are searching for new water sources. Often times, tree roots find their way into the main sewer lines. As you can imagine, this is not a good scenario.
  • If you’ve been doing home maintenance for a long time and you’re comfortable doing it yourself it can be done. However, usually a professional is recommended to get in there and get it done right without causing any unnecessary damage to your pipes. Also, a professional should be able to tell you if you have any unwanted roots in those pipes.
  • Beware of companies that offer to use a camera first. Many of these companies are looking for things that are wrong so they can get more business.
• Repair and/or replace caulking
  • If you see any small gaps in your caulk, do a thorough cleaning, let it dry, then apply a small bead sized amount and smooth it out.
  • If there are large gaps or you see some serious mold growing, you’ll probably want to remove the old caulk and replace it. This can be a tedious process. A good tip for making it easier to remove is to use a blow dryer to warm up the caulk. Warm caulk is more pliable and much easier to remove.
  • Of course, you can always call a professional.
• Look for signs of plumbing corrosion
  • If you see any green stains around copper or brass, or yellow/orange stains around stainless steel then you have some corrosion.
• Inspect toilets
  • Check for corrosion or any other signs of leakage, like soft floorboards or if your toilet is loose from the floor.