Fall is here! Now is the time to do fall home maintenance tasks to avoid costly issues during the cooler weather months.
Use the Grand Home Inspection fall home maintenance checklist to make sure your home is cool-weather ready! Trust us, you won’t want to be working on these things when there is snow on the ground.
If you are somewhat handy, most of these tasks will be easy for you to complete on your own, though if you’re unsure, we suggest you call a professional.
Below is the Grand Home Inspection list of 10 tools every homeowner should have. There are many specialty tools for specific applications, so this is more of a starter kit than an exhaustive list, but it will get you well on your way to making sure your home is comfortable and looking good!
to when you have nuts or bolts of unknown sizes, need two wrenches of the same size, or need to get multiple sizes taken care of with one tool. This wrench is more likely to strip nuts and bolts, so try to use the box wrenches whenever you can.Some people are more handy than others, but everybody is capable of some basic home projects. Doing your own work can be very rewarding and these tools will help you along the way.
Mold is among the top concerns buyers have – and rightfully so! On top of causing health complications, mold remediation can be an expensive and complex project.
Often mold is found in hidden in areas that are tricky to access, meaning many homeowners don’t know it’s there. Here’s the top five places our inspectors find mold:
Finished Basements
Keeping a finished basement free of moisture can be a challenge, especially as homes age. There are many factors that can lead to basement leaks, including improper landscape grading (meaning water is not directed away from the home and pools at the foundation), broken gutters or downspouts or a broken sump pump.
Mold growth is common in basement carpeting, as when carpet gets wet…. It can potentially stay wet for a while before being discovered, allowing mold to grow. The underside of the carpeting can also be wet without the top, visible portion appearing wet.
If you smell a moldy or musty smell in your basement carpeting, the chances are high that there is some mold growth under the carpeting. We suggest pulling back a corner of the carpeting to check out what’s underneath. If you see mold-like substances, our recommendation would be to have professional mold testing done.
Attics
We find staining in attics all the time. While staining doesn’t necessarily mean mold is actively growing, it is a sign that there is moisture intrusion in the attic. We include all staining in attics and will often suggest further mold testing to determine if there is mold growth that needs immediate attention.
Moisture intrusion in attics is caused by poor ventilation which is commonly eliminated by installing additional vents.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are humid places and, thus, mold can grow just about anywhere in a bathroom: showers, tile grout, on walls, ceilings and tubs.
The sure-fire way to cut down on humidity in the bathroom is to make sure your bathroom fan is in working order. It’s worth your while to replace a broken one! You may also want to consider replacing your traditional switches with those with a timer or humidity sensor built in. That will ensure that the fan is run long enough to bring humidity levels down.
Unfinished walls at walkout basements
When warm, summar air comes in at the cool basement level via a walkout, it can often cause condensation on the insulation, which can eventually cause mold growth. This is quote common in newer homes, which are more likely to feature walk-out basements.
Behind stuff stored along outside walls
The heat in our homes also warms our outer walls, preventing condensation on the wall. The problem occurs when too much stuff is placed against the wall and prevents the heat from reaching the wall. Condensation forms and eventually mold follows. Yikes!
These simple DIY projects cost less than having a technician out for a house call. Take a look before you pick up the phone!
Have you noticed your dryer is taking forever to dry your clothes? What’s the deal?? Read more to find out how to get your dryer running quickly and safely.
Many people see bleach as the best product to clean mold. Unfortunately mold cleaned with bleach often comes back with a vengeance. Use this instead.
Keeping your garage door in good working order will make your home safer, and prevent your cars from being locked in during power failures.
Building science has come a long way, but many homes in the area haven’t been updated to protect against one of the worst winter hazards: ice dams.