The home maintenance tips I shared for July were a hit with readers so I am going to continue with them throughout the year. Here is a list of things to do in the month of August. You should be able to do most of these tasks yourself, but if you need help, you can always contact me and I have many people I can recommend for you to hire.
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Check siding for damage, warping, or rot
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My home has vinyl siding and I like to get it cleaned once a year. The company I use doesn’t use high pressure and that is a good thing in my opinion. This year I noticed a couple places where the siding had a crack. I am not sure what happened, but probably related to lawn mowing and I will need to take care of those before water gets behind the siding and causes damage.
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Clean out basement window wells
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It is important to keep these clean. Voluntary plants like to grow in them because they are similar to a greenhouse, so pull any vegetation before it gets too big. If your window wells have drains in them, make sure the drains are clear and water can drain away. You may have some river rock or something in the base and will want to keep that clean and fresh. It is common to find a critter in a window well, so it is a good idea to use a quality cover to prevent living things from falling in.
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Check plumbing shut-off valves. Ensure that they turn on & off freely
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If you have ever had a plumbing emergency, you will appreciate this. It is important that shut off valves operate like they were meant to. They rarely get used and over time they will become stuck in the on position. The worse time for you to discover this is when water is pouring out of a bad faucet or broken pipe, so check every shut off valve in your house annually.
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Clean dishwasher filter. Check dishwasher & drain line for leaks
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It is easy to keep using dishwashers and totally forget that they need maintenance. Before you have a bad experience, clean the filter so the dishwasher will operate properly. When they become clogged, water won’t drain properly and besides having dishes come out dirty, the dishwasher will smell terrible. It is also a good idea to pull the panel at the floor and inspect the underside of the dishwasher to make sure there are no leaks. You can have water leaking for a long time doing extensive damage before you notice it. You may even find interesting things that got swept under there.
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Test smoke/carbon monoxide detectors
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Don’t wait until your detectors notify you in the middle of the night that they need replaced, be proactive and check them regularly. While you are up there changing batteries, look at the date stamped on the device. Smoke detectors should be changed every 10 years and CO detectors every 7 to 10 years depending on when it was manufactured. If yours are that old or older, change them now.
That wasn’t too hard. Don’t forget to get the kids ready for school to start!
Norwalk IA Real Estate –
Jon Niemeyer, Broker/Owner/REALTOR® at EXIT Realty North Star. I list and sell real estate in Central Iowa including Norwalk, Des Moines, West Des Moines, Cumming, Indianola, Carlisle, Waukee, Urbandale, Grimes, Clive, Johnston, Ankeny, Altoona, and Pleasant Hill in the Counties of Warren, Polk, Dallas, and Madison. Call
Jon Niemeyer at
515-490-4675.