It's Time For Fall Home Maintenance

With fall just around the corner, now is the time to get busy on the following items you can take care of around your house to get your home ready for winter.

1. Using binoculars, check for damaged, loose or missing shingles on your roof.

2. Examine the chimney flashing to make sure there are no leaks. (The flashing is the metal that prevents leakage around chimney and walls where they meet the roofing shingles.)

3. Examine the flashing around skylights and roof stacks to make sure there are no cracks or gaps.

4. Cut back any tree branches or limbs hanging within three feet of your roof. The weight of snow and ice will drag them down and damage your shingles.

5. Clean out the gutters of leaves and debris and secure any that are loose.

6. Fill cracks in walks and driveway to prevent heaving.

7. Turn off and drain all outside hose bibs, sprinkler systems and pool equipment.

8. Do not cover your air-conditioning compressor. (Although experts differ, it is generally accepted that the compressor unit is designed to be outdoors. Covering it could accelerate rust and corrosion, while providing a home for field mice or chipmunks who cannot forage for food in severe weather and will start nibbling on the wire’s insulation.)

9. Start your snow blower engine to make sure it will turn on. Spray auger and snow chute with Pam or a lubricant to reduce clogging.

10. Check the oil in your snowblower. It’s probably a good idea to replace it with fresh 5-W-30 oil, which is a good winter oil that makes your engine easier to start. Replace the spark plug in your snow blower as well.

11. Buy rock salt or a de-icing compound and store in a convenient and accessible place.

12. Empty the gas from your lawn mowers gas tank and store the lawn mower in your garage or shed.

13. Close all vents to your crawl space (if applicable).

14. If your house has a whole-house fan in the hall ceiling, install a plastic vapor barrier on top of it and then cover it with insulation to prevent heat loss.

15. Circuit breakers should be tripped and reset every six months to clean the contacts so they don’t oxidize and become useless.

16. Oil the furnace, boiler motor or circulating pump if required. (Usually a 20-weight oil is best unless otherwise stated.)

17. Caulk any gaps around windows and doors.

If someone you know may be purchasing a house soon, please tell them about your good experience with Technihouse Inspections, Inc.

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Technihouse Inspections, Inc.

4940 Rands Road ~ Bloomfield Hills, MI ~ 48302 ~ 248.855.5566

www.technihouse.com

Buyer Beware With "Flipped" Properties

Pay Attention to “Flipped” Properties Before You Purchase

No house is trouble-free. This includes flipped houses that ‘look’ terrific!

First, check and see if the house is a flip. Get a realtor to help you because this will give you a layer of protection. And by all means, hire a qualified home inspector! Without one, there is no-one to look after the buyer. Read that as you!

House flippers are into making money, period. The more money they have to pour into a “flip” means the less money that will go into their pocket. So buyer beware. While looking at a flipped house to purchase, here are a few warning signs to watch for.

1. Poor workmanship with new flooring - especially with wood flooring that only butt up to the base moldings and do not go all the way under. Or, where the door jams have not been cut for the flooring to slide underneath. With carpeting, this will be harder to tell.

2. Kitchens: We all know that kitchens sell houses, so don’t be distracted by all the kitchen “bling” (i.e.,: stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, etc.) that flippers install to distract you from looking at the real workmanship. Check for gaps between back splashes and countertops. New door and drawer fronts that are poorly installed on existing, old cabinets.

3. Interior and exterior doors that do not open or close smoothy, or if they tend to open and close by themselves. Sometimes the age of the house is a factor in this, because older homes settle over time, but these can be properly corrected with good workmanship.

4. When a house is turned into a construction zone, all the drywall dust, sawdust and other airborne debris gets sucked into the furnace and air conditioning system and become caked with dust, and should be professionally cleaned once construction has been completed.

5. Check with the city to see if work permits have been pulled for plumbing, heating and electrical work done on the property. If not, that is a huge red flag that work done may have not been done by any licensed contractors.

6. If a home warranty is offered: a good home warranty service should protect the home’s major systems and appliances. Many people automatically think that home warranties cover everything, but find out later, that warranties do not cover workmanship.

7. Look for serious cracks and movement in painted brick walls within the basement foundation. Painting basement walls is a common practice used to temporarily hide mold and leaks.

Hiring a qualified inspector helps you avoid buying a “two-story” house, you know the one the seller tells you, and the one you actually purchase.

Time to get into spring cleaning mode

Time to start getting ready for spring cleaning. Here are just a few tips to start you off:

1. Check for loose or leaking gutters and clean debris from them so rain water runs freely.

2. Make sure downspouts drain away from the foundation of your house.

3. Any low areas in your yard or next to the foundation should be filled with compacted soil. Spring rains can cause yard flooding, which can lead to foundation flooding and damage. Also standing water in these areas cause a breeding ground for insects.

(Photos courtesy of google search)