Spring Home Maintenance Tips

(Originally posted March 2014)

Spring is ALMOST here.  The first robins have been spotted, daylight savings time is upon us and the first of the early spring flowers are starting to poke up out of the ground.  With each new month, there are different home maintenance tasks you can perform to keep your home in tip top shape.  Spend a little time each month doing different home maintenance tasks and you’ll save a lot of money in the future.

1. First things first, when you change your clocks, change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

2. Test your water heater. Bad valves can cause major problems so open the pressure and temperature relief valve and allow some water to flow out. If little or no water flows out or it doesn't shut off, replace it.

3. Prepare for those April showers by making sure your sump pump works.  This is easy to do by simply pouring some water into the pump silo to raise the float.  If the motor doesn’t turn on, you have a problem.

4. Inspect grout and caulk around tubs, showers and sinks.  If you spot mildew, clean the grout with a mildew removing household cleaner.  If you can’t remove the stain, remove the caulk and replace it with a mildew resistant type.

5. Remove pop up drain plugs and drain traps under sinks and give them a thorough cleaning.

Check back regularly for more home maintenance tips, design trends and ideas.  As always, feel free to contact us if we can provide any assistance with your home building or remodeling needs.

Preparing Your Home for Extreme Cold

(originally posted 1/6/14) on samsbrothers.net)

I am about to type the most redundant statement of the day, "It's COLD!"  It's not just your normal January cold; it's an extreme, frozen tundra kind of cold.  Is your home prepared to handle it?  One of the most common problems with this excessive cold is frozen pipes. Do you know what to do if your pipes freeze or even worse, freeze and burst?  The best thing you can do is be prepared.  Make sure any exposed pipes are covered with insulation, plastic or newspaper.  In addition, confirm that you know where your home's main water valve is located.  Check the line coming into your house to ensure that it isn't rusted or blocked by debris preventing you from turning the valve in case a pipe does burst.   

If you haven't had the opportunity to prepare your pipes, leave your faucets on a slow drip during the coldest temperatures to help prevent freezing.  You can also open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to pipes under sinks that aren't insulated.  In addition, make sure you know  how to shut off the main water line to your house.  You can find simple, step by step instructions with pictures, here.  Make sure to leave water faucets turned on when you shut your main valve off.

As always, feel free to contact us if we can help with any winter preparation or emergency repairs, we're happy to help!

Fall Home Maintenance Tips - Preparing to keep warm

Originally posted on www.samsbrothers.net on August 27, 2013

Can you believe it's already time to start preparing for fall?  Fall home maintenance is an important step to prevent any unpleasant surprises during the cold of winter.

A few items to make sure you check are:

1.  The chimney - Make sure to inspect your chimney annually for creosote build up. Creosote accumulates in your chimney and can cause a disastrous fire, even if you don't use your fireplace frequently.

2.  Inspect your furnace - Have your furnace inspected each fall by a professional, before the heating season begins.

3.  Furnace filter - make sure your filter is clean.  A clogged filter makes it harder to keep your house warm, increasing your utility bill.  In addition, a dirty filter can't trap all the dust in your air, thereby increasing the amount of time you have to spend dusting your furniture!

If you have any questions about fall home maintenance, you can trust the professionals at Sams Brothers, Inc.  Contact us, we'd be happy to help!

Home Maintenance Tip - Attic fans

Don't forget to check your attic fan to make sure it is in proper running order. While checking your attic fan operation, also check your roof mounted turbine vent.  Help keep those Christmas decorations from melting! As always, feel free to contact us if we can help with any building or remodeling needs, we're happy to help!

Spring Home Maintenance Tip - Look up!

Now that spring has sprung (albeit on a temporary basis according to the weatherman), it's time to work on some spring home maintenance.  We will be posting reminders and tips over the next few weeks to help remind you of what should be done around your house each spring to keep it safe and in great condition.

While you're outside soaking up the sun, make sure you look up (just not directly at the sun)!  Instead check your gutters and downspouts.  It's important to keep debris from accumulating in order to avoid rainwater from pooling around your foundation and  leaking into your basement or crawlspace.  Not only will clogged gutters promote leaky basements, they can also cause costly damage to your home's foundation.

Stay tuned for more spring home maintenance tips and, as always, feel free to contact us if we can help with any of your building or remodeling needs.

Spring Deck Maintenance

Spring is almost here! Is your deck ready? Make sure you check under your deck, the posts, the flashing, railings, as well as the obvious areas for water damage, decay, rust, missing screws and/or nails, etc. Be sure your deck is safe! Let us know if we can help!