Owning a home means a lot of work in terms of maintaining it and making your house truly feel like a home. Unfortunately, homes do not come with care instructions and you are usually left to your own devices – which is a lot to take in more so if you are a first time home owner! The home maintenance skills listed below should help you out.
Knowing How to Unclog Drains
You may be laughing at this now but you won’t be laughing the day your sink, bath, or shower drains stop working in the middle of the night or when you can’t call a plumber. Unclogging a drain can be done with the help of commercial drain cleaners but knowing how to unclog drains mechanically should be on your list of skills, as well as preventing your drain from becoming clogged to begin with.
Learning How to Hang Pictures
Hanging things on bare walls seems easy enough, until you try to do it by yourself and discover that it isn’t as easy as it looks. There are tips and tricks to ensure that you hang pictures in a level manner and that you plan out layouts symmetrically (like using smartphone apps). You should know how to use a stud finder as well as use strings or other tools to position pictures easily.
Understanding Proper Caulk Application
Caulk should not just be slapped on – though the packaging for most caulking products look like they can be used to directly apply the caulk on surfaces, knowing how to use a caulking gun can help a lot. Don’t forget to smooth out the caulk with a wet finger!
Preparing for Cleaning Gutters and Actually Doing It
Do you know that approximately 24% of all homeowners never clean their gutters? Don’t fall for the same because you will be in for a very unpleasant surprise come fall or spring! Clearing and cleaning your gutters of leaves, debris, and water is fairly easy more so if you use the right tools. You will save quite a lot on repair too!
Fixing Walls
Hanging pictures and normal wear and tear can damage your walls. Luckily for you, fixing dents on your walls often do not take more than a spackling knife and some putty.
Knowing How to Reset a Circuit Breaker
A home that is built after the 1960s usually come with a panel filled with circuit breakers. This safety feature is to ensure that you won’t damage your lines when a circuit becomes overloaded. To reset a circuit breaker, you simply have to know how to turn it back on. It’s just a push or a flip of a button but worth knowing.
Understanding When and How to Change Filters
HVAC systems use filters that need to be replaced on a fairly regular basis to ensure that you cut your energy bill and that your AC or furnace will keep working properly. The task is fairly easy but remembering the right schedule can get tricky. Don’t shy away from using existing smartphone apps to help you keep track of everything!
Cutting the Water Supply
Cutting the water supply is as easy as simply turning off a valve, but if you don’t know where the main valve is or how to turn it, then you have a potential problem. Ask about this as soon as you acquire a home and you’ll be covered for future repairs.
Looking forward to own your very first home in Oakville? Contact us to schedule a viewing of some of our available Oakville homes!