Caring for Your Home

Welcome Home Package

• Re-key exterior locks

AC and Heating

• Close vents in rooms that are not in use.
• Clean and replace your air filter every 3 months during heating season.
• Keep doors and windows closed during the summer and winter
• Run heat-generating appliances such as your dishwasher and oven later at night.
• Have an annual inspection of your heating and air-conditioning systems
• Set your thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer to save money.

Attics

• Do not store combustible or perishable goods in the attic.
• Do not compress insulation by placing objects on top of it.
• Louvered openings should be unobstructed at all times.
• In cold weather, close crawl spaces and opposite in summer. The same goes for the attic ducts.

Bathtubs/Sinks/Showers

• Use less abrasive or nonabrasive cleaners in the bathroom.
• Fill the tube with water before caulking it.
• When using caulking, more is not better than less, be sure to only use what you need.
• Test GFCI receptacles, power outlets near water sources, monthly: "Test" Button.
• Clean faucet aerators every 3-4 months.

Concrete

• Expect some minor cracks in your driveways and walkways from the shrinkage that occurs during the concrete curing process, temperature changes or soil movement.
• Seal concrete cracks with a concrete caulking.
• Remove snow and ice as soon as possible. Do not use salt to melt the ice, it will damage the concrete.

Detectors

• Test smoke detectors frequently, at least once every six months.

Drains

• Regularly turn on infrequently used fixtures to replace water in the trap.
• Fix faucet leaks with new washers and cartridges.
• Turn off and drain exterior and interior pipes during the winter to prevent freezing.
• Familiarize the members of your house with water intake valves incase of emergency.

Exterior

• Do not use super glue to fix rubber/plastic weather-stripping.
• Paint wood exterior doors with the house or trim every 4-6 years.
• Clean your gutters once a year during the dry season, and keep them clear of snow or ice buildup during the winter months.
• You should schedule a roof inspection every 3 years.

Interior

• Rubber backed floor mats will stain your linoleum and vinyl floors. Avoid them in those areas.
• Paint the wood frames on your windows every 4-6 years.

Landscaping

• Look 10 years ahead to create a plan that you can implement in stages.
• Use native plants rather than exotic ones.
• Cover your soil with some sort of bark dust or ground cover plant to prevent erosion.
• Maintain proper slope away from your foundation for good drainage.

Kitchen

• Do not cut food directly on the countertop; it can scratch the surfaces causing damage.
• Use cold water with your garbage disposal.
• Grease/bones/husks/peels should go into the garbage can, not the disposal.
• Do not pour chemicals into your garbage disposal.
• The garbage disposal has a reset button located on it in case it gets clogged.
• Use bleach to remove food stains in sinks.

Paint

• Touched up painted surfaces usually produce more satisfactory results than scrubbing.

Ventilation

• Run the hood or exhaust fan when you are cooking and the bath fans when the bathrooms are in use.
• Open windows when weather permits and the heating or air conditioning is not on.
• Water Heater
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees or lower, according to your comfort level.
• Check the temperature and pressure relief valve on your water heater every 3-4 months.

Warranty

• Read and retain all warranty documents.
• Keep all your warranties inside of a binder or a folder where it is easy to access.
• Maintain an accurate history of all work done on your home including dates.