Expert Advice on Home Improvement

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It’s easy to let home maintenance projects around the house slide, but if you don’t take care of them now, they can lead to much bigger problems down the road. Here are a few important weekend projects to put on your “to do” list.

Trim Shrubs

Shrubs that are too close to your house can deflect rain onto the siding and prevent moisture from drying out. This can result in rotten wood and provide a fertile environment for mold and mildew to grow. Keep all bushes trimmed back at least 12” to 18” away from your house and well back from air conditioner units.

Read more in Lawn & Gardening.

Painting

Painting the outside of your house is a big job, but it needs to be done regularly to provide protection for the siding and trim. A good paint job requires a lot of prep work, which is as important as the painting itself. Houses built before 1979 should be tested to see if the paint contains lead before beginning, since breathing or ingesting sanding dust from lead based paint can lead to lead poisoning (See Lead Exposure and Safety Tips).

Start by pressure washing your house and treating any mildew with a diluted bleach solution. Next, scrape the house thoroughly to remove any peeling paint or sand the wood with a rotary sander. The goal is not to remove all the paint, just the part that is loose or peeling. Feather out the edges with a sander so it will look smooth. Always wear dust and eye protection while sanding and scraping. Use a stain blocking primer over bare wood to prevent knots and sap from bleeding through. After caulking any gaps or cracks, apply two top coats of good quality exterior paint, being sure to follow the directions on the can.

Read more in Painting.

Clean Gutters

Clogged overflowing gutters can lead to rotten fascia boards and even cause damage to the foundation. Clean them during dry weather starting at the downspout and working back. Wear gloves and use a gardening trowel or a scoop made from an antifreeze container.

Rather than throwing the leaves and debris away, put them on your compost pile. After the gutters are clean, use a garden hose to wash out the inside, and check to be sure the downspouts are flowing freely.

Read How to Clean Your Gutters.

Caulk Tub

Another often overlooked home repair is sealing the joint between the tub and wall tile. A crack in the joint can let water seep behind the tile. This can allow mold and mildew to grow and result in damage to the wood framing or ceiling stains. First, score the old caulking with a utility knife then use a putty knife or scraper to remove it. Next, clean the joint well and dry the area thoroughly with a hair dryer. Once it is dry, seal the gap with 100% silicone caulk. To smooth out the caulk, dip your finger in mineral spirits before running it along the bead, or use a product called Caulk-EZ which comes in an aerosol can that is sprayed on top of the caulking.

Watch Caulking a Tub.

Grout Sealer

While ceramic tile is a durable, low maintenance material that is virtually impervious to dirt and stains, grout is not. Unless stain-proof grout was used, the grout lines need to be sealed. Allow the grout in new floors to cure for 30 days before sealing it. If the grout is dirty or stained, use a mild breach solution and scrub brush to clean it then allow the floor to dry completely before sealing. The easiest way to apply the sealer is with a grout sealer applicator bottle. If the grout will not clean up, you can use a special grout stain pen to stain and seal it all at the same time.

Drain Water Heater

Draining your water heater removes sediment from the tank that can cause it to work harder and cost more to use. Begin by turning off the power or gas to the water heater. Next, turn the cold water supply valve off, and hook a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Open the drain valve and pressure relief valve on top of the tank and allow the water in the tank to drain out. When the tank is empty, open the cold water valve for a few minutes to flush out the last remaining sediment. Finally, close the drain valve and pressure relief valve and allow the tank to fill back up.

See Water Heater Maintenance and Choosing a Hot Water Heater.

Change Air Filter

It’s important to change the air filter on your central heating/cooling system every one to three months to keep it operating efficiently. Open the return cover and remove the old filter. Replace it with a new one that is sized to fit the opening, being sure to orient it so the air flow arrow is pointing in toward the ductwork. Before closing the cover, vacuum or wipe it off.

Read Air Conditioners: From Maintenance To Buying New.

Repair Weather Stripping

Replacing the worn and damaged weather stripping around exterior doors will save you money on your energy bills. Take a piece of the old weather stripping with you to the home improvement store to match it. The weather stripping in newer doors fits in a groove in the door casing. To remove it, simply pull it out. Cut a new piece to length and insert it back in the groove. Older doors can be retrofit with self-adhesive foam weather stripping or strips that are nailed in place.

Caulk Windows

Gaps around windows let heated and cooled air escape and increase your energy bills. Seal small cracks and gaps with caulking. To fill larger cracks, buy a roll of foam backer rod and push it into the gap before applying caulking on top of it. Still larger gaps and holes can be filled using aerosol cans of expandable foam. After the foam cures, trim it flush then stain or paint it to match the existing siding. Both backer rod and expandable foam are available at The Home Depot stores.

Watch Caulk Saving Trick.

Taking care of these few simple maintenance projects around the house will help keep your home in top shape and prevent small problems from growing into big ones.

Other Tips From This Episode

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® were provided by Ryobi.

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10 Comments on “(639) Slacker’s Guide to Home Maintenance”

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1. habious Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 20:34

   tearing out the wall in moble home 2 bed room front and back give me any comment please. I need help think you habious

2. Rich Manuilow Says:
   October 27th, 2007 at 07:58

   Even using grout cleaner and bleach the original color won’t come back. What do I do???? Can I use a DIFFERENT color pen on the grout? I’ve got beige grout & want to change to brown? How often do I seal the grout?

3. Deb T Says:
   October 29th, 2007 at 20:34

   What are you trying to remove? Mold, mildew, rust stains? If its rust there is a product called Works that is available at Walmart among other places and is very cheap. Mildew and Mold should come off with scrubbing and using bartenders friend and bleach. If not, I guess I would regrout and seal better. Maybe that isn’t the best solution but its the only one I have. It depends on where the grout is, if its in the tub area and also what the grout is holding, ie: the type of tile. There are tiles that are too soft for some types of chemicals. If I am wrong here don’t hesitate to tell me to hush.

4. Deb T Says:
   October 31st, 2007 at 14:20

   Rich, The grout pen should have instructions on whether or not you can use a different color, however, I would think going darker would not be a problem in most cases as long as the grout is clean. And I think Danny pointed out that there are new items that will grout and seal all at the same time if the grout will not clean up.

5. kaye Says:
   November 3rd, 2007 at 13:13

   I have an awning on my brick house and the screws have pulled out of the wall. I know I have to replace the wood dowels that came out, is there any type of adhesive to use on the dowels before I screw in the screws?

6. 

   Ben Erickson Says:
   November 7th, 2007 at 12:05

   Kaye,
   Epoxy glue has good holding power and gap filling abilities and bonds to diverse materials. Polyurethane glue might work as well since it expands as it cures. I would either blow or vacuum out the holes to get rid of any dust first and make sure the glue has cured before replacing the screws. You could also use plastic or lead anchors in place of the dowels.

7. Lupe L. Says:
   November 1st, 2008 at 13:55

   Danny,I have a corridor addition that was added on the side,
   Now it is starting to bend and pulling away from the wall.
   Can I use Calk to at least avoid more rain from going in?.

8. Wren S. Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 08:42

   We bought a house a couple of month’s ago, and I have been getting it ready for winter. The house has vinal siding and I can feel the cold coming from the windows. What can I do to fix this?

9. nancy canady Says:
   January 2nd, 2010 at 15:41

   I missed an ingredient in your solution to clean grout: 1/2 cup baking soda
   1/3 cup ammonia
   1/4 cup ???
   7 cups water

10. 

    Ben Erickson Says:
    January 5th, 2010 at 12:21

    Hi Nancy,
    The 1/4 cup was white vinegar.

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