Every year, it is important to do preventative maintenance on both your home and your property. Doing so can reduce the risk of interior and exterior damage, leading to insurance claims and higher premiums. Here is a list of tasks that should be done monthly or yearly to keep your home updated and safe.
Monthly Maintenance:
- Inspect plumbing around toilets and sinks for leaks
- If a toilet or sink is leaking, it is good to catch it early. Leaking plumbing can increase your water bill and more importantly, cause water damage and potential mold.
- Check or replace HVAC filters
- If your filter is not replaced when it gets clogged with dust and particles, it can greatly reduce the lifespan of your HVAC system.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Making sure the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work is crucial in case there is fire or carbon monoxide in the house.
- Check kitchen hood vent filter
- If the hood filter is clogged, it can become a serious fire hazard.
- Inspect sidewalks and driveways for cracks
- Cracks in the sidewalks or driveways can be a major hazard. Seal cracks before the area becomes so damaged the entire sidewalk or driveway needs to be replaced.
Spring Maintenance:
- Check the roof for loose or missing shingles
- Having an intact and up-to-date roof can help to lower your homeowner’s insurance premium and reduce the chance for water leaks.
- Check seals on doors and windows
- Broken seals bring outdoor air into your house and increase your heating and cooling bill.
- Test sump pump and water leak detectors
- It is important to check your sump pump at least once a year. In case of flooding, you want to make sure it will be able to pump water out to avoid a costly water damage claim.
- Inspect decking for loose or cracked boards
- Loose or cracked boards can cause someone to fall through or trip and get seriously injured.
- Clean gutters
- Clogged gutters can cause water build-up which can damage your roof and leak into your walls, possibly causing mold.
- Clean roof from debris
- Clear debris so it does not collect water and cause damage to your roof.
- Clean air conditioning coils
- Bent or blocked coils on your air conditioner can happen over time. Keeping these clean can help you save money by maintaining efficiency and extending the life of your air conditioner.
- Trim around HVAC system
- Make sure to clear debris and trim plants around the system itself. Plants can grow into the unit and can cause damage and reduce efficiency.
- Clean clothes dryer exhaust
- This is also a large fire hazard and often overlooked by homeowners. Have a certified business perform cleaning to ensure there is no blockage in your exhaust. Over 15,000 house fires are caused by clothes dryers annually.
Fall Maintenance:
- Check exterior grading around the house
- Exterior grading is one of your first lines of defense against water leaks into your foundation. Make sure the ground is sloped away from your house, so water doesn’t build up and cause damage.
- Inspect hot water heater for leaks
- Again, you don’t want an unnecessarily high water bill or severe water damage in your house due to a leak.
- Clean gutters
- Clogged gutters can cause water build-up which can damage your roof and leak into your walls, possibly causing mold.
- Clean roof from debris
- Clear debris so it does not collect water and cause damage to your roof.
- Inspect the fireplace
- There could be unnecessary dust and debris that could make your ordinary fire, a huge house fire.
A great tool to add to your home is a smart home detector. These smart home detectors can help detect water leaks, temperature drops, smoke, and more. Smart home detectors are an incredible addition to any home, especially for those that travel, as you are able to know what is going on and can get someone to the house right away should a leak, smoke, or more becomes apparent.
Interested in learning more? Please email us at hello@veroinsure.com or call 773-945-6000.
Vero Insurance is a niche broker with a focus on providing insurance placement and risk management services to high-income families. Here at Vero, we love to provide you with exciting and fun articles to learn more about insurance and how it impacts your life. Visit our other blogs to find more information.
While Vero does offer a wide variety of personal insurance coverages, our main coverages include: personal umbrella insurance, auto insurance, and homeowner’s insurance.
