Home Maintenance Tip #1: Siliconing

Periodically check and redo the silicone around your tubs and showers where the tile meets the tub and especially along the floor at the edge of the lino. Water from tubs and showers is the number one cause of deterioration of the lino and subfloor in bathrooms.

Kitchen and vanity backsplashes should also be checked as the countertops and walls have a tendency to move away from each other and will cause the silicone to separate as well. Toe kicks at the base of cabinets should also be maintained to prevent dirt and moisture from getting in under the edge of the lino.

Home Maintenance Tip #2: Teleposts

During the first year after the construction of a new home, it is critical to monitor and adjust your teleposts to offset any settlement of the building or shrinkage of the framing members. Raising or lowering the teleposts in small increments can control telltale signs of excessive cracking of drywall in corners, around interior arches and columns, or in the binding of interior doors.

Home Maintenance Tip #3: Humidifier

Whether you have a power humidifier or just a simple pan-type model, you will have to clean your humidifier on a regular basis to ensure proper operation. As water evaporates, it leaves behind mineral deposits that clog the mechanisms in the humidifier, eventually causing it to be non-functional. You will be able to tell when cleaning is appropriate as the mineral deposits will be noticeable to the eye and to the touch. The sponge drum in a power humidifier will be crusty and stiff instead of soft and pliable. Check at least twice a year and more often in the winter when your humidifier is likely to be working harder.

Home Maintenance Tip #4: Settlement (Subsidence) Around the Exterior

Any earth around your home that has been disturbed during the course of construction will be subject to settlement for several years after the home is completed. This will include the basement excavation, which usually extends three (3) feet out from the foundation wall, and any trenches required for water, sewer, and utilities. It is critical to correct any settlement in order to maintain positive drainage and keep water away from your foundation. The biggest cause of wet basements in homes as they age is the fact that little attention is paid to maintaining settlement around the foundation.

Home Maintenance Tip #5: Countertop Mitre Joints

Your kitchen and bathroom countertops are finished with a durable, waterproof laminate. Design of your kitchen/bathroom will sometimes include one or more mitre joints in corners or around sinks. These joints are finished in a manner that will withstand brief encounters with heat and moisture but will break down and swell if exposed over extended periods of time. It is important not to let water pool over these joints or consistently position appliances such as coffee pots, electric frying pans, or curling irons in these areas. It does not hurt to occasionally allow the joint to completely dry and then work a small amount of silicone into it with your finger.

Home Maintenance Tip #6: Oven Cleaner on Lino/Hardwood

Be sure to cover up your lino or hardwood around your oven if you clean it with an oven cleaner-especially ones in aerosol cans. The chemicals in oven cleaner are very harsh, and a small amount of overspray will destroy the finish on your lino and hardwood.

Home Maintenance Tip #7: Driveway/Garage Floor

All concrete is susceptible to damage from the salts applied to our roads in the winter. The deterioration of the top surface of your driveway and garage floor will be accelerated if excessive amounts of salt are allowed to accumulate over the course of the winter. This becomes readily apparent in the area where a vehicle is parked as the salt-laden snow drops from the vehicle and sits in the same area every day. As it melts inside a garage, it then pools at the bottom of the garage door. Regular sweeping/shoveling, particularly of the "mush" that accumulates in your garage, will help to combat this problem. It is also recommended that sand be used for traction on your front sidewalk instead of salt or any kind of commercial de-icer.

Home Maintenance Tip #8: Sump Pump

Periodically check to ensure that the sump pump is plugged in and operational, that the sump box or pail is free of silt, and that the discharge pipe is not obstructed or frozen. Also ensure that the discharge (if not directed into a storm sewer standpipe) is far enough away from the foundation to prevent "recycling" of the water back into the sump.

Home Maintenance Tip #9: Hardwood

Hardwood floors are very susceptible to changes in humidity and will shrink or expand quite readily. Once installed, the hardwood should remain fairly stable if you maintain 35% to 45% humidity in your home. You may find this difficult during a very dry winter, and a power humidifier is a must for a home with hardwood. In order for the humidifier to be working, the fan on the furnace has to be running. There will always be a bit of shrinkage or expansion of your floor as the seasons change. Different species of wood will react differently under the same conditions. Oak, for example, is much more stable and easier to maintain than maple.