Maintaining

Foundation and Floor Frame

The foundation is a home's infrastructure. It supports the floor, wall, and roof framing. Moreover, the foundation helps keep floors level, basements dry, and, believe it or not, windows and doors operating smoothly.

Your Roof and Siding

We like to think of the roof as the fifth wall of the home that should be maintained with the same regularity as the walls that support it. With proper care and maintenance, a roof can last without leaking a drop or suffering any significant damage.

Windows, Doors and Insulation

If your home is 20 years old, or older, you may need to perform a little maintenance on your insulation. 60 percent of heat is lost through the ceiling, while walls account for about 20 to 30 percent of the heat loss. Properly maintained insulation can significantly reduce this heat loss.

Deck, Fencing, and Walls

Natural wood that is not protected begins to deteriorate the moment it is exposed to nature's elements. The ultraviolet rays of the sun, moisture from rain and snow, and various fungi soon take their toll.

Swimming Pool

Even with all of the automatic-cleaning equipment available today, there is still no substitute for manual-cleaning equipment and some elbow grease. It permits you to get into nooks and crannies that are off limits to automatic cleaning equipment.

Landscape Irrigation

Your landscape irrigation system may include several types of sprinklers depending on the layout of your yard and types of plants that need watering. Small lawns use sprinkler heads commonly called spray heads, while larger lawns typically use impact or rotary sprinkler heads.

Ornamental Iron

The real secret to dealing with rust is to remove as much of it as possible before attempting to apply a new finish. Depending upon the configuration of the item in question, removing rust can be a tedious process that requires lots of elbow grease. Here are the different methods.

Walkways, Patios and Driveways

Although concrete gets the lion's share of traffic around most homes, brick and stone are often used in lieu of or in addition to concrete for paths, patios, and walkways. Because they are similar in composition, the materials and techniques that are used to clean one can be used to clean and preserve the others.

Your Plumbing System

Each of the types of pipes has its advatages and disadvantages. Studies have shown that lead pipes can be a health hazard. Galvanized iron is suceptable to mineral buildup and corrosion. Unfortunately, even copper systems have their health drawbacks.

Plumbing Fixtures

A home dweller eventually becomes intimately familiar with the various plumbing fixtures in a home -- the sinks, tubs, toilets, and shower pans. It's no fun when these fixtures become tattered and worn out looking, and in many situations, cleaning is all it takes to make a worn-out fixture look brand new.

Your Drain and Waste System

Every plumbing fixture in your home is joined by the same drainpipe, including the kitchen sink, the dishwasher, the toilets, and so on. The waste from each of these fixtures exits the house through this one drainpipe, and a problem caused by one fixture can easily become a problem for all of them.

Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling

Your heating system simply heats up air or water, and then moves that heated air or water (or steam) around the house. It's really that simple. However, the technology behind this process is pretty complicated, which means that a professional must perform most maintenance tasks associated with it.

Walls and Ceilings

You can wipe away fingerprints, crayon, pen marks, dirt, and dust from walls, trim, and doors with spray cleaner and a damp cloth. If your house is older, you need something that cuts through the accumulated dirt: a synthetic TSP solution.

Household Appliances

Cleaning your appliances doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Just a few simple household ingredients and a little elbow grease from time to time keeps your appliances sparkling, operating efficiently, and often one step ahead of the repairman.