Nobody wants to shell out a lot of money for home repairs. Not only will these often cost an arm and a leg, but they could also be quite bothersome. This should mean that many of us will want to avoid them as much as possible, although we might not know how.
Depending on what area of your home you’re looking at, there can be a variety of maintenance tips and tricks that can be quite affordable. While they may take a certain amount of time to do, they can often save you a significant amount of money.
While everyday maintenance can be budgeted for and saved for in advance, there are some unfortunate scenarios where maintenance is unexpected, yet critical. Examples of these emergency scenarios may include a flooded kitchen due to a broken pipe, or a broken furnace in the middle of winter. Should you find yourself facing an unexpected emergency home repair, there can be several ways to go about handling the expenses.
While nobody is overjoyed to borrow money, these types of loans can allow you to address your unexpected financial crisis without getting derailed long-term. Given the time-sensitivity around many housing emergencies, they may be one recommended option for homeowners.
There are several tricks and tips that you can employ throughout the year to help avoid unexpected repair bills, although these will vary across each area of your home.
One thing that’s common across each is fixing any small issues as quickly as possible. Doing so should mean that you’ll be able to prevent any larger problems from developing. As a result, you’ll be able to avoid having to pay a significant amount of money to have them fixed in the long term.
There are three main areas that you’ll want to look at when doing so, as they can often be the most expensive to fix.
Maintaining Your Furnace
Your furnace could develop quite a large number of problems without you initially realizing it. While these may start relatively small, they can add up quite quickly. As a result, it’s highly recommended that you check them regularly for any problems. Some of the more notable problems that can occur include:
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Typical wear & tear;
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Ignition or pilot control problems;
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Malfunctioning thermostat;
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A continuously running blower, and;
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A furnace that runs too loudly, among others.
While some of these could require the help of a professional, especially the more complex problems, others could have a simple DIY fix. For example, some might need a small replacement part, which could be easy to do. However, you should always know what you’re doing before attempting any repairs.
Naturally, you’ll want to prevent these repairs from being needed in the first place. There are a few well-recommended ways of doing so, including:
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Check the Circuit Breaker & Supply Line: If your thermostat isn’t working, then it could indicate a problem with either the circuit breaker or the supply line. This could be as simple as a tripped or blown fuse.
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Reduce Drafts: A draft could cause problems with your pilot light, so it’s recommended that you keep certain doors and windows cleaned.
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Yearly Maintenance: It’s recommended that you get a professional in to assess your furnace once a year, preferably at the end of summer. This should prevent any issues from developing further.
Roof Maintenance Tips
Your roof can often be the most expensive part of the house to repair, primarily because it could need a significant amount of work. However, much of this can be avoided with a few simple things. Three in particular stand out, including:
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Install Proper Ventilation & Insulation: This is often an overlooked part of the home, although it could lead to a variety of issues. By implementing these, you’ll be able to prevent the build-up of heat and moisture, both of which can cause a lot of damage.
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Keep Downspouts & Gutters Clear: You should regularly clear out your gutters and spouts, as failing to do so could clog them up. This will then result in water damage around the roof and walls, which should be avoided at all costs.
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Inspect Your Roofing: Regular inspections can often be vital, as it will allow you to spot issues before they get too big. When doing so, you should look for any signs of damage, including cracks, corrosion, and much more. If there are small problems, they should be easily fixed.
Look After Your Pipes
Your pipes are one of the larger areas that you’ll need to look after, as failing to do so could lead to a variety of issues. While not needing to repair them will be the largest reason for this, if they start failing, then it could lead to various health issues because of cross-contamination, among other things.
However, there are a few notable things that you can do to maintain your pipes and prevent any damage from occurring. The most notable of these are:
- Insulate Your Exterior Pipes: The winter months could wreak havoc on your external pipes, with this primarily being done through frost damage. Insulating them should prove to be quite helpful with this.
- Use Strainer: To make sure that you don’t get any clogged pipes, you should use strainers, which will keep objects from accumulating.
- Use Vinegar & Baking Soda: These could help unclog your pipes, as well as prevent any particles from accumulating. This can be especially true with your kitchen and bathroom pipes.
Regularly inspecting different areas can be vital to each of the above. By doing so, you should be able to catch any issues early. This could mean that you’ll be able to stop any problems in their tracks.
Alongside this, it should mean that you could be able to implement a variety of DIY repairs, which might be much more affordable than hiring a professional. In many cases, these should be relatively easy to fix. As such, they can be a cost- and time-effective way of maintaining your home.
In the majority of cases, having a proactive approach to dealing with the issues will be vital. By using each of the above tips and tricks, you should be able to maintain your home relatively affordably. Though it will take some effort, this will reap dividends when you consider the cost of hiring a professional for larger issues.
