Maintenance Tips

Caring for your new home by performing regular maintenance will keep it fresh and new and help to maintain its value.

Vinyl Flooring can be cut, dented by high heels, and torn very easily. Whenever you are moving anything around on the vinyl flooring, please beware that vinyl flooring can be damaged very easily.

Dishwashers require a water temperature of 120 degrees to break down the detergent. If you lower the temperature of your hot water heater your dishwasher will not perform as expected. Please read the instructions and requirements noted on the detergent you buy. Do not use any detergent that is not made for dishwashers.

Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks can and will pit and rust if you leave SOS or Brillo pads resting on top of them or if you use them to clean the sink. Also, leaving metal objects that are not corrosive resistant will leave rust stains. Soft Scrub or Zudd are recommended for cleaning.

GFI Electrical Outlets are the outlets in the bathrooms, in the garage, kitchen, and all outlets found on the exterior of the house, including patios. These outlets are designed to prevent electrical injury and will cut off power to the outlets. Once you notice there is no power going to these outlets, you will need to reset the breaker button found on one of the outlets. The most likely area to find the outlet with the reset button is in the garage or bathrooms, but if not found there check the other areas mentioned above.

Caulking is a very important maintenance procedure and must be done at least once a year to prevent damage to the following areas:

1. Vinyl floors where they meet the cabinets, base boards, around toilets, and up against the tile area at a shower. The purpose of caulking these areas is to prevent moisture from getting under the vinyl which will make the vinyl become loose.

2. Cabinets should be re-caulked where the counter top meets the back splash to prevent water from entering. The most important area is behind the sinks.

3. Sinks in the bathrooms and in the kitchen should be caulked where the sink meets the counter tops to prevent water from entering that area.

4. Tubs should be caulked where they meet the tile. Due to settling, the grout around these areas will break loose, but caulking will restore its appearance.

5. Windows, doors and exterior siding should be re-caulked at least once a year and with a caulk suitable for exterior use and that can be painted.

Air Conditioning in your home is pretty much maintenance free. However, filters must be changed monthly to ensure proper operation. One of the most common items customers call about is their air conditioning running all day. After many trips out to determine the problem, we have found that when it is 95 degrees outside and you have your thermostat set at 75 degrees do not expect your A/C to shut off. An A/C unit will only cool down 13-15 degrees from the outside temperature, even if you have your home double insulated. However, if you do think there is a problem with your unit, please call the Air Conditioning Company.

Termite Protection (where applicable) is provided to you with your house. However, at the end of your first year it is up to you to renew your policy. To protect yourself against termites do not forget to renew your policy. This policy only protects against subterranean termites. Other types of termites and insects are not covered in this policy nor are they covered under any warranty.

Smoke/CO Detectors are located inside the bedroom doors. You may have one or more depending on the model you selected. To ensure they are working, you will notice a little red light (button) on the face of it. Press that button and the alarm will sound until you release it. You should do this once a month to ensure they are working. Batteries should be changed every 6 months to ensure proper operation.

Garbage Disposals have a reset switch located on the unit under the sink. If you turn it on and it does not work, look under the sink on the bottom of the disposal for the reset button and push it in to reset it.

Electrical Breakers are in the electrical panel box. At times, if an electrical circuit is overloaded, this breaker switch will shut off electricity to that outlet. If lights or outlets do not work in one area of the house check your electrical panel for a breaker switch out of alignment with the others and turn it off and then on again. This will reset the breaker.

New Sod needs special care and lots of water. Be sure to water and fertilize properly. If you are unfamiliar with the maintenance procedure of your lawn, please consult a lawn and garden specialist.

Septic Tanks and drain fields (where applicable) will last longer if you never pour grease down the drain. The grease will destroy your drain fields and problems can develop quickly depending on the amount of grease. Also, if you have a garbage disposal, please use it with caution. Try to throw away as many solids as possible before using your disposal. The solids are ground up so fine by the disposal that they do not remain in the septic tank, but flow out into the drain field area. The excessive use of a disposal will result in drain field problems and shorten the functional life of the drain field. So, when using your garbage disposal, make sure to remove as many solids as possible before using.

Erosion Wash Outs are expected because of seasonal rains. Wash outs around your foundations and driveway culverts are typical.