Maintain Your Home's Value
We pride ourselves on building and delivering homes that bring our clients' vision and imagination into reality. Along with a focus on aesthetics, we construct homes that are designed to maintain their luster and beauty for decades. But this is only possible if a home is nurtured and cared for over time.
Once they have settled into their new home, it becomes increasingly the client's responsibility to maintain it. As a responsible builder, we have a period of time in which we respond to warranty service calls and address questions from our new homeowners. Eventually the baton is passed to our owners for regular home maintenance. This helps insure a comfortable, secure and safe living environment and protects an important financial investment over time.
And while every house we build is different, specifically with regards to the various exterior and interior finishes, they all need to be cared for properly to retain our clients' investment and maximize their quality of life. We see it as our responsibility to educate and help our clients tackle their role as 'good stewards' of their home.
Wood Floors. All types of wood flooring material, whether solid wood or laminate, require regular care. In most cases, cleaning these surfaces using a damp sponge mop (warm water diluted with vinegar) will do the trick. To maximize the life of wood flooring, keep it dry and free of debris that can cause scrapes and discolor the finish.
Drainage. An engineered combination of a home's roof design, gutter system, and site drainage system, work together to shed water from the house and its foundation. To maintain an optimum level of drainage, have gutters cleaned twice a year. If you add shrubs, flowerbeds, or other landscaping around your house, angle (or grade) the dirt away from the home's foundation.
Appliances. Refer to your homeowner's binder to find the user manuals to all of the major appliances in the house. These guides typically include seasonal and periodic maintenance tips. For instance, your refrigerator coil should be cleaned twice a year. In addition, the clothes dryer vent hose (between the dryer and the wall) should be cleaned out at least semi-annually. Every three months, replace the furnace filter, clean out the dishwasher strainer, and drain and flush sediment from your water heater. Such maintenance chores allow these appliances to operate at their optimal performance and extend their usable lives.
Roofing. Make regular and thorough roof inspections. Pay attention for missing or damaged shingles or voids in the flashing that may allow moisture or air infiltration. Replace or repair as soon as possible to ward off problems.
By following these guidelines, the time and energy owners invest in their home will continue to provide dividends well into the future.
TM Grady Builders’ intent is to share general and/or interesting building industry information through articles on our blog. Article posting dates are included as they may be current or contain potentially dated information. Blogs are informational only and do not necessarily represent the processes and procedures of TM Grady Builders. We hope you enjoy these informational articles as you relax and envision building your dream home. Blog articles are the property of TM Grady Builders and not for reuse by any party.