Fall Home Maintenance - Four Tips

posted by Sound Marketing for House Smart Home Improvements
with excerpts from http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement 

Fireplace Tune-Up

Proper inspection of a fireplace is vital to ensuring its safe operation -- even if it is rarely used. An experienced chimney sweep will check wood for flammable buildup (known as creosote) and chimney blockages such as bird nests. A chimney or fireplace professional should also check for these red flags: improperly functioning dampers, damaged brickwork and masonry, and missing or damaged flue caps (the screen covering the top of the chimney).

Touch Up Paint

No time for a full-blown exterior painting project? Hit the trouble spots, such as the cut ends of all boards, especially fascia boards, where paint peels first. If you have a little more time, apply a coat of fresh paint to all trim pieces.

Clean Your Carpets

If your wall-to-wall carpeting
harbors dirt and musty odors, here is a homemade environment-friendly solution you can make to clean them: 

Non-toxic Carpet Cleaning Solution Recipe (my second favorite carpet cleaning recipe)
1/2 part Vinegar 1/2 part Water 5-6 drops essential oils, or more as desired (optional)

Add to your carpet cleaner machine and shampoo. It will smell like vinegar pretty strongly while you shampoo them. But after it dries you will be left with a nice clean smelling house.
Throw open the windows to let it dry before the weather gets too cold. Also consider renting a steam cleaner to get out ground-in stains and odors for as little as $25 per day.

Manage Drainage 

If you live in an area that gets more rain than snow during the winter, dig a French drain to prevent a downspout-fed lake from forming in your yard. A hole that's 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide should do the trick. Dig it under your downspout, line it with heavy plastic sheeting (or whatever your local building code requires), and fill it with gravel.
You can add plants on top of the French drain, but cover the gravel with landscape fabric before adding dirt. Another option is a trench-type French drain, which will move water away from your house rather than directing it deep into the ground. 

 Click To LIKE Us on Facebook for Green Tips, Home Improvement Tips and Heads Up for Government Grants!

 

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or  furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  Give us a call. 604-585-2020. Right now, save 100 per window for a limited time if you live in the lower mainland, BC Canada    

 House Smart Home Improvements
Phone: 604 945 1904 / Fax: 604 581 1985
Email: info@housesmarthomeimprovements.com

Showroom: #4 120 Glacier St, Coquitlam BC V3K 5Z6 
604-945-1904 (office hours)  - 604-585-2020 (24-Hour)