We were featured on Channel 4 and shared a cost-saving home maintenance checklist. There are many things that need to be done each year in your home. Simple maintenance could save you thousands later. Check out the full video on what you should be checking in your home. We’ll show you how and what to do. If you need any assistance, a professional handyman is the way to go and we’ve got you covered!
Video Transcription
Evrod Cassimy 00:00
There’s a lot to do if you’re a homeowner, the furnace filter to caulking the bathroom, dishwasher drains. If you are a homeowner, there’s so many things that you’re supposed to be maintaining…
Rhonda Walker 00:10
that you may not realize. That’s the problem. Many people don’t realize it and don’t do it nearly as much as you should, which can cause much bigger problems down the road. So is there a home maintenance checklist? Let’s get to Nick Monticelli, he went straight to the experts.
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 00:26
So we’re gonna check the filter.
Nick Monticelli 00:28
Adam Holloway from Hearth and Home services is the kind of handyman you call for anything. He’s got the right tool on his truck for any job. But he says many jobs, you don’t need him for like a problem with your furnace, or air conditioner.
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 00:44
If there’s ever a problem with a furnace, or air conditioning, the first thing you do is check the filter. That’s the very first thing because most of the time it’s going to be clogged.
Nick Monticelli 00:52
In fact, he says that filters should be changed twice a year, summer, and winter.
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 00:57
And it actually tells you what size filter you need. So when you go to the store, you just look on your existing filter, you need 20 by 25, four inches thick.
Nick Monticelli 01:07
Another item on the maintenance schedule gutters, clean them out at least once a yea.,
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 01:12
In the wintertime, you want your water to flow out instead of freezing. Because once that water freezes, it’s just gonna build up and it’s gonna get super heavy. And that’s when it starts to pull these nails out of the wood.
Nick Monticelli 01:23
While you’re outside Adam suggests checking the seals around the flashing on your roof.
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 01:27
Definitely make sure that this is sealed up, because water will run from the bricks right behind it if it’s not.
Nick Monticelli 01:33
Back inside in the bathroom, Holloway points out the grout or lack thereof around the tub.
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 01:39
So we’ll look around the tub to and let’s see I have some some grout separation here, which is very common around the bathtub. And we have it here in the back too. So that would probably be something that would need to be caulked pretty quickly. Because that is a place that water can infiltrate back there.
Nick Monticelli 02:00
And the kitchen
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 02:01
What you got to do is this pull this out a lot of people, a lot of people neglect this.
Nick Monticelli 02:05
brings the most surprises. Did you know there’s a filter in your dishwasher that needs cleaning?
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 02:11
We’ll pull this out. And as you can see, it’s got you know that’s not bad. It’s got a little build up, but it actually it catches everything. Just cleaned it up. A lot of times you might have to take like a little brush to it. Maybe an old toothbrush or something. But yep, it just needs to be cleaned off and it actually will flow your water a lot better. And it might help clean your dishes a little bit better.
Nick Monticelli 02:36
Something else in the kitchen is cleaning your refrigerator, not the inside of it the outside of it, you need to pull the refrigerator back off the wall and vacuum dust and debris that’s collected on the condensers both behind the fridge and in front of it than what your feet are. And from microwaves mounted above your stove, you might use that vent. But did you know there’s a filter under there?
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 02:59
So what we have under here are just the the grease traps. A lot of people don’t know about these either. This is actually not too bad at all. But something like this could just be tossed in the dishwasher.
Nick Monticelli 03:11
Lastly, in the basement, Adam points to your dryer vent is a common fire hazard. All the lint gets trapped inside. He says it needs to be cleaned twice a year,
Hearth and Home Handyman Adam Holloway 03:21
I would have to disconnect it from the back. And I’d run along vacuum tube puppet just to get all the lint and stuff out.
Nick Monticelli 03:27
All of this might seem a little overwhelming. But Terri Bailey, the owner of Hearth and Home services says do it yourself maintenance like swapping a furnace filter is a lot cheaper than it breaking.
Terri Bailey 03:39
So that furnace that is $4,000 that’s supposed to get you through 15 years, maybe gets you through 10 So yes, and a furnace filters about $2 at the hardware store. Small things turn into big expenses and your home is your biggest investment. It’s important to take care of your investments.
Nick Monticelli 03:54
I’m Nick Monticelli local four news today.
Evrod Cassimy 03:58
I’m gonna change the air filter but the rest of that stuff…
Rhonda Walker 04:00
leave it to the experts. I guarantee you ain’t doing none of that. But make sure it gets done.
Evrod Cassimy 04:05
Gotta get done.
Rhonda Walker 04:05
Yeah!
Evrod Cassimy 04:06
not by me.
Conclusion
Hearth and Home Handyman can help you keep up with home maintinance. We provide quality work that reaches and exceeds your expectations. Don’t do it all yourself. Save yourself the hassle and let us take care of your home, contact us!