the first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · the first thing you need to do...
TRANSCRIPT
Thefirstthingyouneedtodoistomakealistofimportanttelephonenumbersthatyoumayneedtohelpmaintainyourhome.Onceyouhave
readthisHomeMaintenanceGuide,besuretokeepitnearthephonesoyouwillknowwhereitisincaseofemergencies.
FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911
MYADDRESS
MYPHONE
INCASEOFEMERGENCY,CALL
FIRE, POLICE, EMERGENCY NUMBERS
FIREDEPARTMENT
POLICEDEPARTMENT
SHERIFF’SDEPARTMENT
HOSPITALS
INSURANCECOMPANY
UTILITIES’ EMERGENCY NUMBERS
ELECTRICALPOWERCOMPANY
GASCOMPANY
WATERDEPARTMENT
SEWERDEPARTMENT
STREETDEPARTMENT
PHONECOMPANY
HEATINGOILSUPPLIER
GARBAGESERVICEl l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
1Important Phone Numbers
REPAIR SERVICE EMERGENCY NUMBERS
HEATINGSERVICE
AIR-CONDITIONINGSERVICE
TELEPHONEREPAIRSERVICE
CABLETELEVISIONSERVICE
PLUMBERS
ELECTRICIANS
CARPENTER
PAINTER
APPLIANCEREPAIRSERVICES
OTHERREPAIRSERVICES
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
2 Important Phone Numbers
Now,takeaminutetofindtheshutoffvalvesforyourutilities.Thenwritedownwheretheyarelocatedsosomeoneelsecouldfindthemifnecessary.Makenoteofanyspecialconditionsaboutthe
locationofeachoneorhowitworks.Also,readthewarrantyandinstructionsforallyourappliances.Thenplaceallthisinformationinonelocationsoyoucanfinditwhenyouneedit.
ELECTRICAL MAIN SWITCH LOCATION
WATER MAIN VALVE LOCATION
HOT WATER HEATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION
GAS MAIN VALVE LOCATION
WARRANTY AND INSTRUCTIONS LOCATION
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
3Emergency Switch/Valve Locations
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 1EMERGENCY SWITCH AND VALVE LOCATIONS 3INTRODUCTION 5HOME EXTERIORS 6
Foundation7
ExteriorWalls 8 RoofandGutters 10 WindowsandDoors 12 Yards 14
HOME INTERIORS 15PLUMBING 20ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS 31MONTHLY MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION CHECKLIST 35GLOSSARY 39
HOME MAINTENANCE GUIDE forTENNESSEE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
4 Contents
Yourhomeisoneofyourmostimportantfinancialinvestmentsandpropermaintenancewillhelpyouprotectthisvaluableasset.Sinceyouaretheowner,itisyourresponsibilitytotakegoodcareofyourhome. Youcantakechargeofmaintainingyourhomebyregularlydoing:
* Routine Inspections * Preventive Maintenance
Ahouseismadeupofalotofdifferentpartsthatareallrelatedanddependontheotherparts.Forexample,ifyouhavealeakinyourroof,itcannotonlydamageyourroof,butcancauseyoutohaveproblemswithyourceilings,walls,andyourelectricalsystemaswell.So,it’sveryimportantthatyoufixaproblemwhenyoudetectit. ThisHomeMaintenanceGuidewillprovideyouwithimportantinformationaboutthedifferentpartsofyourhouse.Eachsectionwillgiveyouseveralimportantitemstolookforasyouconductyourroutineinspections.Aswediscusseachpartofthehouse,wewillgiveyoupreventivemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromproblemsinthefuture.
Thefirstsectiongivesyouaplacetorecordtheimportantnamesandphonenumbersofdepartments,companiesandhomemaintenanceprofessionalsthatyouneedtokeeponhandformaintenanceandemergencies. Thenwe’lllookatallthemajorpartsofyourhouse.Ineachsectionwe’lldiscusswhatyouneedtolookoutforinyourroutineinspectionsandhowyoucantakepreventivemeasurestomaintainyourhouse. Thelastsectionisascheduleforamonth-by-monthinspectionofyourhouse.Ifyoufollowthemonthlyinspectionschedule,itwillhelpkeepyourhouseintopnotchcondition. Remember,problemswithyourhousewillnotsimplygoaway.Theywillonlygetbiggerandcostyoumore.It’sreallytruethat“anounceofpreventionisworthapoundofcure.”
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
5Introduction
Whenyouthinkoftheexteriorpartofyourhouse,youthinkoftheoutsideportionofyourhouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseismadeupoffivemajorareas:
Foundation - Thefoundationofyourhousesupportsthestructurethatisaboveitandkeepsthestructurefromshifting.
Siding - Thesidingofthehouseistheoutsidewalls.
Roof - Theroofcoversthetopofthehouse.
Windows and Doors - Windowsanddoorsareopeningsinthesidingandwallsofyourhouse.
Yard - Theyardisthatareasurroundingyourhousegenerallyknownasyourproperty. Eachoftheseareasmakeuptheexteriorofthehouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseiswhatpeopleseefirst-itistheirfirstimpressionofhowyoulive.Forthatreason,youshouldkeepyourhouselookingcleanandneat.
HomeExteriors
HomeExteriors
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
FOUNDATION Thefoundationofyourhouseisthepartofyourhousethatsupportsthefloor,thewalls,theroofandeverythinginsideyourhome.Awell-constructedandproperlymaintainedfoundationshouldlastforyourlifetimeandthensome.Thereareseveraldifferenttypesoffoundations,butonethingthattheyallhaveincommonisthattheymustrestonsolidground.Ifafoundationisproperlybuilt,youshouldhaveveryfewproblemsifyoumaintainit.Afoundationthatispoorlybuilt,eitherthroughmaterialsorlabor,willonlycauseyouproblemslater.Afoundationcancreatemanydifferentproblemsinsideyourhouse.Somemaybeveryminorandrequireverylittlerepairs,whileothersmaybemajor,life-threateningproblemsthatrequirelotsoftimeandmoneytofix. Thefoundationofeveryhouseshouldbeinspectedatleasttwotimesayear,onceinthespringandonceinthefall.Asyourhouseagesandsettles,yourfoundationcancrack,creatingnewproblems.Severeweatherconditionssuchasbadwinters,severesummerstorms,orlongrainyperiodscanalsocreatefoundationproblems. Thefoundationshouldlooklikea“foot-print”ofyourhousethatisdesignedtocarrythehouse’sweight.Generally,foundationsarebuiltonfooterswitheitheracrawlspaceorconcreteslab.Ifyourhousehasabasement,thenyourhousewillhaveanoutsidefoundation.
FOUNDATION INSPECTION Thefirsttimeyouinspectyourfoundationyoushouldmakenotesasto
yourfindingsandthedatetheinspectionwasconducted.Youwillthenbeabletocheckanychangesthatmayoccuroverthenextfewyearsbasedonyournotes.
Landscaping, Drainage and Water Runoff - Tobeginyourinspectionyouneedtolookatthelandscapinganddrainagearoundthefoundation.Youmayneedtohavesomeonegradethesoilsothatwaterwillrunoffawayfromyourhouse.Youshouldalsomakesurethatanyguttersanddownspoutswillbedivertedawayfromthefoundation.Landscapingplantedaroundthefoundationwillabsorbthewaterandstabilizethesoil.However,treesandshrubswithlargerootsystemscandamagethefoundation.
Cracks, Leaks, and Condensation - Smallhairlinecracksarecommonandnothingtoworryabout.However,cracksthatarewiderthan1/16ofaninchareimportant.Widercracksshouldbeinspectedbyaprofes-sionalbuildinginspectortodeterminethecauseofthecracking.Verticalorsteppingcracksusuallyarecausedbyseverewinterswherethegroundhasfrozenandexpanded,therebyputtingpressureonthefoundation.Crackingcanalsobecausedbya“settling”ofthefoundation.Settlingcrackswilloccurwhenthefoundationwasnotpouredonsolidground.Whenleaksoccurinthefoundation,theyaregenerallyfromimproperdrainageorcondensation.
Insects - Insectsareapotentialproblemtoconsiderwhenexaminingyourfoundation.Termites,wormsandantscanhideinyourhouseandcreateproblemsbeforeyoueverknowtheyare
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
7Home Exteriors
there.Theygenerallylikedarkanddampplacesthataredifficultforthenakedeyetodetect.Youshouldhaveanannualtermiteinspectiontoensurethatyoukeepyourhousefreeoftermitesandinsects.
FOUNDATION MAINTENANCE Low-lyingshrubsandgroundcover,likegrassormulch,willallowthesoiltodrainawayfromthefoundationandwillkeepthesoilaroundyourfoundationstable.Plantsshouldnotbeplantednexttowallsofyourhouse.Flowerbedsshouldbeplantedseveralfeetfromthehouse.Thisallowsforadequatedrainageofthesoilandlimitsthemoistureandcondensation. Smallhairlinecrackingcanbepreventedbykeepingthesoilaroundthefoundationasdryaspossible.Ifthefoundationwasproperlyinstalledandifthegroundsurroundingthefoundationdrainsproperly,crackingwillbeminimal. Anotherimportantelementistheventilationoffoundations.Ifyouhaveacrawlspaceorbasement,thisareashouldbeproperlyventilatedtopreventcondensationandthebuildupofmoisturebetweenthegroundandthesubflooring.Condensationoccurswhenthecoolfoundationismetbywarmerair.Properventilationcaneliminateconden-sationproblems.Ventsshouldbeleftopenduringthesummerandclosedshutduringthewinter. Thetreatmentandpreventionoftermitesisnotado-it-yourselfproject.Ittakesacompleteunderstandingandknowledgeofhowandwheretheinsectslive.Youshouldhireaproperlytrainedprofessionalexterminatortogetridoftheinsects.Thebestwaytokeepinsectsout
ofyourhouseistohireanexterminatortosprayforbugsonaregularschedule. Onceyoustarthavingfoundationproblems,itisdifficultandcostlytocorrectthem.Thesemeasuresaresimplemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromexpensivefoundationrepairs.
EXTERIOR WALLS Theexteriorwallsandsidingofyourhouseshouldbeweathertighttopreventwaterdamageanddrafts.Peelingpaint,damagedshinglesandopenseamsinsidingandtrimarenotonlyunsightly,theyinviteseriousproblems.Propermaintenanceofyourexteriorwallswillhelpyouavoidcostlydamageoftheinnerwalls.Exteriorwallsaremadeupofframing,insulation,sheetingpaper,sidingandtrim.Eachitemplaysanimportantpartinmakingyourhouseweatherproofwhichwillkeepyoudryandwarminside.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofsiding:wood,vinyl,aluminum,brickandstone.Butthesimpletruthisthatsidingandtrimdonotlastunlesstheyarewellkeptonaregularbasis.
EXTERIOR WALL INSPECTIONS Nomatterwhattypeofsidingandtrimyoumayhaveonyourexteriorwallsyouneedtoinspectthewallsatleasttwiceayear.Yourprimaryconcernwillbedetectingareaswherewatermaygetthroughyourwalls.Inspectthewallsfromtoptobottomlookingcarefullyfordefectsinthesurface.Itmaybenecessarytouseascrewdriveronthesurfacetoseeifwoodisrotting.Pay
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
8 Home Exteriors
closeattentiontothewallsonthesouthandsoutheastsidesofthehouse.Thesewallsgetmoreexposuretosunandtovariationsintemperaturewhichmakethemmoreapttodeterioratequickly.Keepyournotepadhandysoyoucanrecordtheconditionsandanychangesintheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.
EXTERIOR WALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Aspartofyourinspection,youshouldincluderoutinemaintenancethroughperiodiccleaning,caulking,paintingorstainingandanysimplepreventiverepairjobsonanas-neededbasis.
Cleaning -Oneofthesimplestmaintenancechoresforyourwallsistosimplyhosedownyoursidingandtrimtoremovedirtandgrime.Forbricksurfacesyoucanuseacarwashbrushthatattachestoahose.Thecombinationofgoodoldelbowgreasemixedwithwaterandabrushwilladdressmostbrickcleaningproblems.Withvinyl,aluminumandwoodsidingyoumayfinditnecessarytoscrubdownthedirtysurfaceswithacleaningsolution.Anyhardwarestorewillhavecleaningsupplies.Alwaysbesuretofollowdirectionsandcoveranyshrubsandplantsbeneathyourworkarea.Whileyouarecleaning,lookformildewonyourwalls. Youshouldcleanthemildewwithoneparthouseholdliquidbleachmixedwiththree-partswarmwater.Scrubthesurfaceandletitsoakfor15minutes.Thenuseagardenhoseandrinsethewallthoroughly.Ifthemildewremains,scrubthewallswithamixtureofwater
andpowderedlaundrydetergent.Remembertoprotectyourskinandeyesfromanycleaningsolution.
Caulking Openings -Caulkingandsealingopenjointsandseamsintheexteriorwallsshouldbeapriorityinyourroutinemaintenanceprogram.Openingswillallowmoisture,water,draftsandinsectstocreepintoyourhouse.Caulkingdriesoutovertime,sodon’tbesurprisedtofindyourselfcaulkingeachyear.Caulkingisasimpleprocessthatyoucanperformusingacaulkinggunandaputtyknife.Makesureyouareusingtherightkindofcaulkforwhatyouaresealing.Yourhardwarestorecanhelpyouselectthecorrectcaulk.Areasthattypicallyneedcaulkingarelistedbelow:
1. Windows and door frames
2. Brick and siding joints
3. Seal small foundations cracks
4. Cracks in siding
5. Trim and siding joints
6. Vents
7. Foundation and siding joints
Painting and Staining - Ifyoukeepthepaintonyourhouseingoodcondition,thejointsandseamswellcaulkedandthewallsurfacesclean,youwillgreatlyreducethechancesofwooddecayandmoisturegettingintoyourhouse.Paintwillblisterandpeelovertimeduetoexposuretosunandweather.Whenthisoccurs,youareallowingwatertogetintoyourhouse.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
9Home Exteriors
Thecorrectwaytorepaintasurfacethatisblisteringandpeelingistoscrapeoffalloftheloosepaint.Washtheareawithamilddetergent,thencleanoffthesurfaceandletitdrycompletely.Oncethesurfacehasdried,caulktheareasthatareneeded,resetloosenails,puttyoverholes,andpaintaprimercoatonallbaresurfaces.Againallowtheareatodry.Last,applytwocoatsofpaintbeingsurethateachcoatofpaintdriescompletely.Bypreparingthesurface,youwillextendthetimebetweenpainting. Ifyouhavemetalsiding,youwillneedtofollowthesameprocessexceptyouwilluseawirebrushtocleanthesurfaceofdirtandrust.Besuretouseametalprimerbeforeapplyingthetwocoatsofpaint.Paintingorstainingcombinedwithcaulkingwillkeepthewoodaroundtheexteriorofyourhousefromdecaying.Yourlocalhardwarestorecanadviseyouonthetypesofpaintsyouneedtouseforthetypeofsurfaceyouarepainting.
Brick and Mortar Repairs -Itisnotuncommonforthemortarbetweenbrickstocrack.Again,crackswillallowmoistureandwatertoseepintoyourhouse.Repairingmortarisasimpleprocessthatmostpeoplecando.Aswitheveryotherrepairprocess,besuretocleanthesurfaceproperly.Youcanremovethesmallparticlesbyflushingwithahoseorbyusingawirebrush.Mortarcanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Youwillwanttomatchthecolorofyourmortar,soyoumaywanttotakeasamplewithyouwhenyougotothestore.Thenmixthemortarandwetthesurfacethatyouwillbefilling.Thenpressthemortarintothejointswithajointertool.Afterafewminutes,clean
theexcessmortarandallowthejointstodry.
A word of caution: Atthebottomofeachwallyouwillfindsmallopeningscalledweepholes.Theyaretheretoallowmoisturetoescape.Locatetheweepholesfirst,andthenbesuretoleavethemopensotheycanlettrappedmoistureescape. Aswithanypreventivemaintenance,beforemakingrepairstoyourexteriorwalls,find the source of the problem. Coveringupaproblemwillnotmaketheproblemgoaway.Thelongeraproblemexists,themoreitislikelytocostyoutorepair.Besuretogorighttothesourcebeforemakinganyrepairs.
ROOF AND GUTTERS Theroofandthedifferentpartsoftheroof,suchastheflashing,drains,guttersanddownspouts,cannotbeignoredyearafteryear.Justbecauseyoudon’thavevisibleleaksdoesn’tmeanthatyoudon’thaveproblems.Don’texpectyourrooftobeproblem-free.Propermaintenancecansignificantlyextendthelifeofyourroof. Toprovidethebestpreventivemaintenanceforyourroof,youshouldinspectyourroofatleasttwiceayear,onceinthespringandagaininthefall.Italsomakesgoodsensetoscanyourroofandguttersthroughouttheyear.Duringandafterarainstorm,youcantellifguttersareclearofdebrisandifyouhaveleaksaroundventsandfireplaces.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
10 Home Exteriors
ROOF AND GUTTERS INSPECTION Roof Covering -Shinglesarethemostcommonformofroofcovering;however,thetypeofcoveringwilldependontheslopeoftheroof.Youwillneedtoinspecttheshinglesfromtheground,ontopoftheroofandfromtheinteriorportionoftheraftersintheattic. Ifyoufindthattheshinglesarecurling,cracking,losingtheirgrainysurface,peelingawayfromtheroofand/orchangingcolor;thentheroofisshowingsignsofwear.Itmaybetimetogetanewroof. Whenyouperformyourinspectionintheattic,youwillneedtolookfordiscoloringofrafters,watermarksonthewallsanddecayingofwood.Waterleakscanbefromoldanddecayingshingles.Butmoreoftenthannot,leaksoccuraroundplumbingventpipes,chimneystructures,roofventsandroofvalleys.
Gutters and Downspouts -Oneofthemostoverlookedpreventivemaintenancemeasurestoyourroofisthecleaningofguttersanddownspouts.Guttersanddownspoutsfillupwithleaves,pineneedlesanddebris.Whentheguttersareclogged,thisgiveswaterthechancetoseepintocracksandbackupundertheroofingmaterial.Gutterswillalsospilloveronthegroundandcancausedamporwetbasementsandfoundations.Ifyouwanttolimityourcleaningtime,youcaninstallplasticorwirescreensoverthegutters.However,thescreenswillalsoneedsomecleaning.
Trees -Onethingmanypeopleoverlookwhenperformingaroutineinspectionisthelocationoftreesandbranchesaroundyourhouse.Treesandbranchesclosetothehouseorhangingoverthehousecanbeahazardtoyourroof.Duringicestormsorseverewindandrain,it’snotuncommonforbranchesortreestosnap,allowingthemtocrash
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
11Home Exteriors
ontopofyourroof.Keeptreesandbranchesclearofthehouse.
ROOF AND GUTTER MAINTENANCE
Wheninspectingyourroof,safetyisaprimaryconcern.Ifyouaregoingtochecktheroofyourself,makesuresomeoneiswithyouincaseofanaccident.Also,ifyouareelderlyorhandicapped,donotgetontopofyourroof.Getaprofessionaltoinspectyourroof. Ifyouhaveanyofthesignsofaroofwearingout(forexample:leaks,discoloring,orpeelingshingles),itmaybetimeforanewroof.Beforeyoucallarooferintomaketherepairs,youmightwanttogetanopinionfromacontractor.Hecangiveyouanideaofwhatneedstobedonetoyourroof.Roofsandroofrepairsareveryspecialized,soknowwhatyouaredoingorgetsomeonethatknowswhattheyaredoingwhenroofrepairsareneeded. Whenyouseethesignsofleaks,youneedtogetaprofessionaltodeterminetheproblem.Addressingtheproblemearlywilllimitthedamageandwillcostyouless.Remembertokeepyourguttersanddrainscleanedout.Thisisasimpleandinexpensivemeasurethatwillsavethelifeofyourroofandyourfoundation.Also,bykeepingthelimbsandtreestrimmedawayfromyourhouseyouloweryourriskofdamageduringstorms.
WINDOWS AND DOORS Windowsanddoorsareanimportantpartofanyhouse.Theyprovideaccess,lightingandventilationintoyourhome.Poorlyinstalledorpoorlymaintained
windowsanddoorswillcauseyoumanyproblems.Ifawindowordoordoesnotfitsnugly,thenitwillallowhotandcoldairtoenteryourhome.Properlyinstalledstormwindowsanddoorswillalsoprovideadditionalsecurity.Ifthestormwindowfits
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
12 Home Exteriors
looselyoriftheglassisbroken,thestormwindowoffersnobenefittoyourhouse.
WINDOWS AND DOORS INSPECTION Windowsarethebiggestsourceofheatloss.Loose-fitting,crackedormissingpanes,allowyourheattogooutthewindowduringthewinter.Caulkingandweatherstrippingaroundthewindowsareveryimportant.Caulkingsealscracksandgapsaroundwindowswhereframesmeetexteriorsiding.Sealingthecracksandgapsreducestherateofheatlossinadditiontokeepingmoistureoutofyourhouse. Weatherstrippingisusuallyinstalledonwindowswherethesashandframemeetandondoorswherethedoorandjambmeetalongthesidesandtop.Weatherstrippingismadeofbronze,aluminum,steelandrubberorplasticstrips.Weatherstrippingneedstobereplacedperiodically,particularlyinareasthatareusedmostfrequently. Youneedtoinspectallofyourwindowseveryspringandeveryfall.Checkthecaulkingandweatherstrippingaroundyourwindowandlookforcracked,missingorlooselyfittedwindows. Doorsnotonlyprovideyouaccessintoandoutofyourhouse,buttheyalsoprovideyouwithprotectionfromtheoutside.First,youneedtocheckyourdoorforoperation.Doesthedooropeneasily,doesthedoorclosecompletelyandwillthedoorlocksecurely?Thenyouneedtomakesurethatthedoorisnotcrackedormissinganypanes.Useascrewdrivertogentlycheckforrottenwood,looseputtyandflakingcaulk.
Whenyoufindtheseproblems,generallyitmeansthatthereissometypeofmoistureinyourwood.Youmaybeabletomakesomeoftheserepairsyourself.Ifyoudonotknowhowtomaketheserepairs,getacarpentertomaketheseimprovements. Aswithyourwindows,caulkingandweatherstrippingarealsoveryimportant.Doorsthatareusedmostfrequentlywillneedtobecaulkedandweatherstrippedmoreoften.Ifyourdoorisstilldrafty,thenyoumayhaveaproblemwithyourhousesettling.
WINDOWS AND DOORS MAINTENANCE
Inspectyourwindowsanddoorstwiceayear,onceinthefallandonceinthespring.Youwillneedtolookforandmakethefollowingrepairs:
1. Repair cracked, loose or broken glass.
2. Scrape and paint any peeling paint on all doors and windows.
3. Replace or repair missing, loose or deteriorated caulking.
4. Repair, tighten or replace any loose or missing storm windows.
5. Patch or replace the screenings on the windows.
YARDS Youryardisthefirstpartofyourhouseanyonesees.Soyouwillwanttomakesurethattheyardiscleaneduptogiveeveryoneagoodimpressionof
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
13Home Exteriors
yourhouse.Thereareanumberofotherimportantreasonsyouwillwanttokeepyouryardclean.Firstandforemost,bykeepingthedebrisandtrashpickeduparoundyourhouse,youkeepinsects,ratsandrodentsfromnestingandmakingnewhomes. Ifyouryardiswellmaintained,youalsoimprovethesafetyofyourhouse.Yardsthatareclutteredwithappliances,broken-downcarsandtrashareaneyesoretoneighbors.Astorageshedinthebackofyourhouse,whereyoucanstoreitems,isthesafestandcleanestwayforyoutokeepyouryardneat.
YARD MAINTENANCE TIPS Keeping the Yard Mowed -Youwillwanttokeepthegrasscutinyouryard.Duringthesummermonthsyardmaintenanceismoredemanding.Duringthefallyouwillwanttorakeormulchtheleaves.
Plants and Shrubs -Plantingflowerswilladdcolortoyouryard.Plantsandshrubsalsohelpstabilizethesoilaroundthefoundation.Whenplanting,besuretoallowsomedistancebetweenthefoundationandyourplants.Toomuchmoisturenexttothefoundationcandamageyourfoundation.
Trees and Limbs -Surveyyouryardfordeadlimbsandtrees.Theseshouldberemoved.Itmayrequireaprofes-sionaltreesurgeontodothis.However,youshouldn’thaveanyproblemmovingthelimbstotheproperplacefordisposal.Checkwithyourcityorcountytoseewhoisresponsiblefordisposaloftreeandlimbdebris. Youwillalsoneedtosurveyyourlivetrees.Treesthataretooclosetothehouseortreesthathangoverpowerlinesaredangerous,particularlyduringwindyandfreezingweather.Bytrimminglimbsandremovingdeadlimbsyouwillsaveyourselffromalotofproblems.
Storage -Keepyouryardfreefromdebris.Ifyouhaveoddsandendsinyouryard,keeptheminacoveredshedinthebackofyourhouse.Notonlywillthishelpeliminateunwantedratsandrodents,itwillkeepyourneighborshappy.
14 Home Exteriors
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
Home Interiors
Home Interiors
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Theinteriorwalls,ceilingsandfloorsofyourhouseformasurfacethatcoversthestructuralframe,plumbing,electricalsystem,heatingandcoolingductsandotherbuildingcomponentsthatwould
beunsightlyorhazardous.Thisiswhyitisimportanttoexaminetheinteriorofyourhouse.Forexample,aleakinyourplumbingcandamageyourwalls,foundationandelectricalsystem.
INTERIOR INSPECTIONS Sincethewalls,ceilingsandfloorscovertheareasyouareinspecting,youneedtouseyoursenseofsightandsmell.Youalsohavetotrainyourselftospotchangesovertime.Inspectionoftheinteriorofyourhouseshouldbeanongoingprocess.Asyoucleanyourhouse,lookforchangesinthelevelofthefloor,cracksinyourwalls,dampspotsonyourwallsandfloors.Whenyouthinkyouhavefoundanareathatmayhavechanged,taketheextratimetoexploretheproblem.Youwanttocatchaproblemearlybeforemoreextensivedamageisdonetoyourhouse.Thefollowingitemsaresomewarningsignsthatyoushouldexamineclosely.
Sagging Ceilings and Walls -Wheninspectingyourceilingandwalls,firstmakesureyourroomiswelllit.Thenlookcarefullyatyourceilingsandwalls.Saggingceilingsmaybeasignofloosewallboardorplasterandshouldbeinspectedmoreclosely.Bowedwallsmayindicateaweaknessinthestructuralframework.Minorlocalizedsaggingorsofteningofwallsorceilingsmayindicateawaterleakaboveorbehindthearea.Watertravelsalongtheframeworkofyourhouseandwillsettleinthelowestpoint.Aleakinoneareaofthehousemaybenoticedinanareathatisfarfromtheactualleak.
Cracks in Walls and Ceilings -Crackscomeinmanysizes,shapesandforms.Allcracksneedtobelookedattodeterminethecause.Veryfine,straightcracksthatareparalleltothewallsandceilingsgenerallyareofnogreatconcern.Theycanberepairedwith
aflexiblecaulkingandtouchedupwithpaint. Lookcloselywithamagnifyingglassatjointswheretwopiecesofwallboardcometogether.Normallythesejointsarecoveredwithpapertapeandlayersofjointcompound.Ifyoufindacrackatajoint,onlycosmeticrepairsarenecessary.Youwillneedtowatchtheareaovertimetoseeifitoccursagainandincreasesinsize. Cracksmaychangesizefromseasontoseasonasyourhomeexpandsandcontractswiththeweather.Ifthecracksgrowwiderovertime,youshouldcallaprofessionaltoinspectyourfoundation.Cracksatangles,jaggedcracksandopencracksneedtobelookedatmoreclosely.Ifthecracksoccuroverashortperiodoftime,lookforthesource.Poordrainageoutsideyourhomeorstandingwaterunderneathit,maybecausingthesoiltoheaveandshiftthebuilding.Animproperlyconstructedfoundationinafreezingclimatecouldbeanothercause.
Cracks in Floors -Cracksthatappearinconcreteslabfloorsorinrigidfloorcoveringssuchasceramictileshouldbecloselyanalyzed.Tracethecrackstotheoutsidewallwherethefaceofthefoundationisexposed.Hereyoucanseeifthecrackrunsupthewalloreventhroughthefoundationitself.Hairlinecracksarecommoninanyconcretestructure.However,ifthecrackiswiderthan1/8inch,itshouldbefurtherinspectedandaddressed.
Floor Squeaks and Buckling Floors -Woodfloorsarerarelysqueakfree.Sincegreen,unseasonedwoodisusedinnewconstruction,squeakscanoccurlaterwhenthewooddriesout.Squeaks
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
16 Home Interiors
areannoying,butrarelyasignofstructuralproblems. Floorswillbucklewhentheyareexposedtohighhumidityoriftheyarenotproperlyinstalled.Woodneedsadequateexpansionareas.Whenthisisnotprovided,thenthefloorwillbuckletogetthenecessaryspace.
Insect Damage -Inspectionforinsectdamageneedstobeanongoingeffort.Thebestwaytoaddressinsectdamageistopreventinsectdamage.Aprofes-sionalinspectionservicecaninspectyourhomeandperiodicallysprayforinsects.Onceyouspotinsectdamage,theinsectsarewellontheirwaytospreadingthroughoutyourhouse. Youshouldlookcloselyatexposedwoodbaseboards,trim,doorandwindowjambsthroughoutyourhome.Smalltanordarkbrownpelletsorasawdust-likematerialindicatesthepresenceofwooddamage.Drywoodtermiteslikedark,dampspaces.Again,thebestwaytopreventinsectdamageistohaveyourhouseprofessionallyservicedonanannualbasis.
Sight and Smell Senses -Asyouinspectyourhome,paycloseattentiontowhatyournoseandeyesaretellingyou.Amusty,damp,staleodorshouldbetrackedatonce.Checkthecrawlspaceorbasementformoistureordampsoil.Lookandsmellinsideclosetstodeterminewhethertheyareadequatelyventilated.Checkforleakypipes.Showerwaterthatiscontinuallysplashedontothefloorcanleakthroughcracksandcausethefloororsubflooringtorot. Checkthewallsbehindfurnitureandpicturesthatarenotfrequentlymoved.Lookformoldandmildew.Thisisa
signofmoistureorpoorventilation.Ifyourcarpetsmells,thepaddingmaybeabsorbingmoisture.Pullbackyourcarpettoinspectthepaddingandfloorforrustspotsorfungalgrowth.Ifthecarpetingfallsapartwhenyoupullatit,youhaveaseriousmoistureproblem. Useyoureyestosurveyforwaterleaksinyourceilings,wallsandfloors,particularlyaroundbaseboards.Awaterstaintypicallyappearsasadarkringofdiscolorationaroundanaffectedarea.Asmentionedearlier,waterwillmovealongtheframeworkofahousetothelowestpoint. Whenaceilingstainoccursbelowanattic,checkforleaksintheatticplumbinganduseastrongflashlighttoinspecttheroofframe.Besureandcheckthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.Ascaulkinggetsolder,itwillcrackandseparate,allowingwatertoseepthroughintotheinteriorofyourhouse.
INTERIOR MAINTENANCE TIPS Whenyouseechangesinyourwalls,ceilingsandfloors,youshouldtakethetimetogivethemsomeimmediateattention.Herearesomeinteriormaintenancetipsthatwillhelpeliminatesomemajorandcostlyrepairsinthefuture.Usecommonsensewhenspottingchangesinyourhouse.Themostimportantmaintenancetipistokeep a clean house, free from trash and debris.
Ceilings -Ceilingsthatarenewlyinstalledgenerallyneedverylittleattention.However,ifyouseecracksandwaterstainstheyneedtobelookedinto
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
17Home Interiors
immediately.Mostcracksarehairlinecracksanddonotrepresentaseriousproblem.Thesetypesofcrackscanbeeasilypatchedandpainted.Remember,everycrackneedstobeinvestigatedtoseeifitrepresentsamoreseriousproblem.
Walls -Mostwalldamageiscausedbysimplephysicalabuse.Youcanpreventaproblembypayingspecialattentiontothecareofyourwalls.Wallsneedtobeperiodicallycleanedbyanonabrasivehouseholdcleaningproduct.Youshouldfindoutthetypeofpaintusedonyourwallsandmakesurethatyourcleaningsolutionissuitableforthesurface.Ifyoupaintyourwalls,thenyoushouldbesuretousethetypeofpaintthatissuitableforyourwalls.Youcanalwaysuseoilbasedpaintoveranytypeofpaint.However,youcannotpaintwaterbasedpaintoveroilbasedpaint. Structuralproblemswithwallsareindicationsofamoreseriousproblemwithintheinteriorwallsorthefoundationofthehouse.Whenaproblemisdiscovered,itisimportanttodeterminethecauseoftheproblem.Thismayrequireaprofessionalinspectororcontractortolookintotheproblem.
Floors -Floorsshouldbemaintainedbyregularcleaningandvacuuming.Regularcleaningcanextendthelifeofyourfloor.Atrouble-freefloordependsongoodsubflooringandtheinstallationofthesubflooring.
Odors and Mildew -Youcandoalottocontrolmildewandmustydoors.Checkallventilatingsystemsinthecrawlspacesandattic.Replaceventscreensthathavebecomecloggedbydebris
orpaint.Closetsmaybecomemustyduetopoorcirculation.Louvereddoorsincreaseaircirculationandwillhelpkeepyourclosetssmellingfresh.Placeyourfurnitureseveralinchesawayfromthewalltoallowventilation.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspacehasadirtfloor,trysealingtheexposedearthwithasheetofplastic.Thiswillactasavaporbarrierandwillalsokeepmoistureoutofyourhouse.
Stairways -Stairwaysareareaswhereaccidentsfrequentlyoccur.Makesurethathandrailsaresecurelyattachedtothewallsandextendthelengthofthestairs.Eachstepshouldbethesamedepthanddistanceapart.Whenastairwayhasstepsofdifferentheights,youareaskingfortrouble.Keepdebrisclearedoffthestairstopreventtripping.
Bathrooms and Kitchens -Bathroomsandkitchensneedextraattentionbecauseoftheconstantpresenceofmoisture.Useastrongflashlighttochecktheplumbingunderthesinks.Checkbehindrefrigeratorstomakesurethatwaterisnotrunningoutofyourrefrigeratorandrottingyourfloor.Asponginessordiscolorationofthefloorcoveringaroundthetoiletcouldmeanaleakinthesealwhereitconnectstothefloor.Lookfordamagedormissingcaulkingbetweenthetub,sinks,toiletsandthewallsandfloors.Jointsbetweenbathroomwallsandsinks,bathtubsorshowersrequirecaulking.Itcannotbeoveremphasizedthatcaulkingisasimpleandinexpensivemethodofmoistureproofingthatcansaveyouhundredsofdollarsinlaterrepairs. Thekitchencookingareasneedinspectionaboutonceamonth.Checkyourrangeventilatorhoodforgrease
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
18 Home Interiors
build-upandkeepitclean.Thiswillreducetheriskoffireduetogreasebuild-up.Lightbulbscoveredwithgreaseshouldbecleanedorreplaced.
Smoke Alarms -Eachhouseshouldhaveatleastonesmokealarm.Ifyouhavemorethanoneleveltoyourhouse,youshouldhaveonesmokealarmforeachlevel.Youshouldlocateasmokealarmineachbedroom.Smokealarmsoperateonbatteriesoronelectricity.Ifyouusebatteries,thenyouwillneedtochangeyourbatteriestwiceayear.Smokealarmsareessentialtothehealthandsafetyofyourhome.
Who Should Do the Work? -Normalroutineinspectionandmaintenancewilleliminatetheneedforacostlyprofes-sionalinmostcases.Byaddressingaproblemorpotentialproblemearlyon,youmaybeabletomakesomeoftherepairsyourself.Thelongeraproblemgoesunattended,themorecostlyandmoreinvolveditwillbetosolve.
Mostofthehomemaintenancetipspresentedherecanbedonebyyouorsomeonethatishandywithrepairs.Structuralproblemsoftenrequireaprofessionaltomakethenecessaryrepairs. Whenusingaprofessional,besuretogetafixedpricebeforetheystartthework.Youshouldaskforreferencesfromthehomerepairprofessionalandcheckthereferences.Makesureyouhaveawrittencontractwhenworkingwithacontractor.Thatwayeveryonewillhaveagoodunderstandingoftheworktobeperformed.Oncetheybegintheworkandanychangesareneeded,makesureyouknowthecostofthechanges.Ifyouarepayingforsomeoneelsetodothework,itshouldbequalityworkthathe/shewillstandbehind.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
19Home Interiors
Plumbinginyourhouseislargelytakenforgranteduntilyouhaveproblems.Ifyouhavejusthadyourhouserehabilitatedorreconstructed,anyplumbingproblemsshouldhavebeenaddressed.Whenyoustarthavingsmallproblems,thisisacluethatyourplumbingsystemneedssomemaintenance.Beforeyoucaninspect
yourplumbing,youneedtohaveagoodunderstandingofyourplumbing. Theplumbinginyourhouseismadeupofthreedifferentsystems:awatersupplysystem,adrain-wastesystemandaventsystem.Allthreesystemsdependonyourwatersourceandthecapacityofyourwatersource.
PlumbingPlumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thenyoupayamonthlywaterbillandtheutilitycompanyisresponsibleforprovidingyouwithwater.Yourrespon-sibilitybeginsatthepropertyline.Theutilitycompanywillbringthewatertoyourproperty,thenyouareresponsibleforthewatergettingintoyourhouse. Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thewatershouldenteryourhouseat20to80psi(poundspersquareinch).Ifyourwaterpressureislow,youneedtocheckwiththeutilitycompanytoseeifithasadequatesizedlineswiththerightamountofpressuretoserveyourhome.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,thewaterlineleadingintothehousemaybeundersizedorcorrodedfromage.Ifthisisthecase,youmayneedtoreplacethelineleadingintoyourhouse. Somehomesmayuseawelltoprovidewater.Undergroundwaterispumpedintoapressuretank.Asyourhousedemandswater,thewaterispumpedintothehouseandthepressuretankisrefilled.Ifyouuseawell,thenperiodicallyyouwillneedtohaveyourwellprofessionallyinspected. Ifyouhaveproblemswithyourwatersupply,hireaprofessionaltoinspectandmaintainyourwaterlines.Takenoteofyourwaterbill.Ifyourwaterbillissuddenlyhigher,youcouldhavealeakintheground.Also,ifyourwaterbillgraduallyincreases,youcouldhaveasmallleakinthehouse.Remember,whenyouwaterplantsinthesummer,youpayfortheextrawater. Whenyouhaveproblemswithdeliveryofwatertoyourhouse,callyourutilitycompanyandaskthemtoinspectthelines.Keepinmindthatyouare
responsibleformaintainingthewaterlineonyourproperty.
The Water Supply Piping -Mostwatersupplylinesaremadeupofgalvanizediron,copper,brassorplasticpipe.Olderhomesmayuseleadpipesormayhaveusedleadjointstoconnectthepipes.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,youmaywanttohaveyourwatertestedforhighlevelsoflead. Ifyourhousecontainsgalvanizedironpiping,thereisagoodchancethatyourlineshavesomedecayontheinsideofthewaterline.Thatcanbeoneofthereasonsforproblemswithwaterpressureandwaterdelivery.Galvanizedpipeshavealifeexpectancyofabout30years.Ifyouareexperiencingdifficultyinwaterdelivery,youwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourwaterlines. Plasticpolyvinylchloride(PVC)pipescanlastaverylongtimesincerustordecaywillnotbuildup.However,yourlocalcodesmaylimittheuseofPVC.IfPVCisexposedtocoldweather,itwillneedtobeinsulatedtopreventcracking.Again,youwillwantaprofessionaltoinspectandinstallyourPVCpipes.
Water Shutoff Valves -Whenwaterpipesbreakorleak,thedamagetoyourhomecanbeverycostly.Ifyouknowhowtoshutoffyourwatersupply,youcanpreventfurtherdamagetoyourhouse.Thereareseveralfixturesthathavetheirownshutoffvalvesuchastoilets,sinks,waterheatersandwasherconnections.Theseshutoffvalvesaregenerallylocatedbehindorbeneaththefixture.Inanycase,youcanalwaysshutoffthewateratthemeterandthiswillshutoffallwaterleadingintothehouse. Youshouldtakethetimetofamiliarize
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
21Plumbing
yourselfwiththeexactlocationoftheshutoffvalvesforyourhouse.Youneedtochecktoseeifatoolisneededtoassistyouinshuttingoffthewater.Inspectyourshutoffvalvestomakesuretheyarefullyopened.Thenrecordtheexactlocationofyourshutoffvalvesinthespacesprovidedinthefrontofthisguide.
DRAIN-WASTE SYSTEM Usedwaterandwastearecarriedtopublicsewagelinesortoyourseptictanksystem.Oneofthemostfrequentproblemswithyourplumbingsystemisstoppedorslow-drainingfixturesandappliances.Thebestwaytopreventproblemswithyourdrainagesystemistolimitthedebrisyouputinyourdrain. Eachdrainshouldbesealedoffbyatrap.Thetrappreventsgaseousodorsfromcomingbackintoyourhouse.Ifyouhaveasourorsewagesmellinyourhouse,youcanpoursomewaterdownthedrain.Thiswillcausethetraptodraintheliquidandcreateasealbetweenthedrainandyoursewersystem.Iftheodorcontinues,thenyouwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourdrains.
VENT SYSTEM Ventingisnecessarytomaintainequalpressureinyourplumbingsystem
andtomakesurethatanysewergasesescapetotheoutsideofyourhouse.Allplumbingfixturesmustbeventedtotheoutside.Someventswillleadtotheroofwhileotherventswillruntothesideofthehouse.Anewerhousemayhaveonemainventthatconnectstoallthefixtures.It’simportanttokeeptheventsclearofdebris.Smallanimalsandbirdscanbuildnestsinvents.Awirecoveringisalwaysaneasywaytopreventthis.Ventsshouldbecheckedtwiceayeartomakesurethattheydonotbecomeclogged.
PLUMBING INSPECTIONS Manyelementsofyourplumbingcanbeinspectedbyyou,thehomeowner.Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortableinspectingyourplumbing,askafriendorneighbortohelporcallalicensedplumber.Donotconfusetheplumbingpipeswithgaslinesorwarm-waterheatingsystems.
The Water Supply Pipes -First,locateyourwatershutoffvalve.Thiscanbelocatedinabasement,crawlspaceoroutsidethehouse.Knowwhereyourwatermeterisandhowtoshutoffthewaterpipesatthemainwaterline. Next,noticethetypeofwaterlinesinstalledinyourhouse.Makesurethatthewaterlinesaresupportedbyfloorjoistsorwallstuds.Pipesrunningunderthefloorjoistsshouldbeconnectedtothejoistsbypipestraps.Dependingonthetypeofpipe,youshouldhavepipestrapsevery3or5feet. Obviously,asyouinspectyourhouseyouwillneedtolookforanytypeofleaks.Donotconfusesweatingpipeswithleaks.Ifyouhaveawetpipe,wipe
22 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
thepipeoffwithatowel.Ifthepipeisleaking,itwillstartdrippingimmediately.Ifapipeiswetfromcondensation,itwilltaketimetogetwetagain. Whilelookingatyourwaterpipes,makeanoteofanypipesthathavebeenpatched.Patchedpipesshouldbecheckedperiodicallyforleaks,orreplacedwithnewpipes.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspaceisnotheated,thepipesshouldbeinsulatedorwrappedwithelectricalheatingcabletopreventfreezing.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenpipesarelocatednearwindows,foundationvents,orwallsthatarenotinsulated.
Exterior Faucets -Ifyouhaveexteriorfaucets,youneedtohavefrost-prooffaucetsorhaveastop-and-wastevalvetopreventfreezing.Bothtypesoffaucetscanbeboughtatyourlocalhardwarestore.Youmayneedaprofessionaltoinstallthefaucet,orsomeonethatknowsplumbing.Anotheralternativeistoinstallashutoffvalveonthewaterlineleadingtotheoutsidefaucet.Duringthecoldweathermonths,it’salwaysagoodideatodrainyourhosesandstoretheminadry,warmarea.Thiswillkeepyourhosefromcrackingandextendthelifeofyourhose.
The Water Heater -Youwillneedtoinspectyourwaterheateronaregularbasis.Toinspectthewaterheateryoushouldstartatthehotandcoldwaterlinesattachedtothetank.Carefullytoucheachpipetodistinguishthehotwaterandcoldwaterlines.Makesurethatmetalpipinghasbeenusedforatleastthefirst12inchesabovetheheater.Checkforcorrosionorleakageatthepipejoints.
Locatetheshutoffvalveonthecoldwaterlineleadingintothetank.Next,checkthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvestomakesuretheymatchthetankspecificationsusuallyfoundonthesideofthewatertank.Carefullyinspecttheoutermetaljacketforrustorsignsofleakage.Aleakingwaterheateralmostalwayshastobereplaced.Useatoweltomakesureitisaleakandnotconden-sationthathaswettheoutsideofthetank. Makesureyourwaterheaterislocatedinadrippan.Incaseofaleakinthewaterheater,thiscanlimitthedamagedonetoyourhouse.Yourwaterheatermustbeventedtotheoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisparticularlyimportantwithgaswaterheatertanks.
Drains and Sewage Pipes -Locatethedrainagepipesinyourhouse.Theycanbeeasilyfoundbylisteningfor
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
23Plumbing
runningwater.Drainsandsewagepipesshouldhaveagradualslopetoallowthewatertorundownthepipeandnotgetbackedup.Pipesshouldbesecurelyfastenedtofloororwallsevery4to5feet.Carefullycheckforleaksunderwaterfixturessuchastoilets,sinksandwashingmachines.Allleaksshouldberepairedimmediately. Useastrongflashlighttocheckallthedrainsunderthesinks.Testasinkdrainforleaksbyrunningwaterintothesinkandwatchingasthesinkdrains.Asthewaterdrainsfromthesink,listenforagurglingsound.Thiswillindicatethatthedrainisnotproperlyvented. Ifyouhaveaslowdrain,thisindicatesyourdrainlinesneedcleaning.Ifyouhaveaslowdrainoracloggeddrain,youmaybeabletofixthisproblem.First,trypouringboilinghotwaterdownthedrain.It’sagoodideatodothiseveryweek.Thiswilleliminatebuildupinthedrain.Ifthedrainstilldoesnotdrainproperly,youcanuseaplumber’splungeroraplumber’ssnake.Ifyouuseachemicalcleanertocleanyourdrain,readtheinstructionsverycarefully.Chemicalcleanerswillburnyourskinandcancausepermanentdamagetoyourbody.Remember,youcanalwayscalla
professionaltocleanyourdrains.
The Vent System -Inspectingforventsbeginsoutsideyourhouse.Youshouldhaveventsprotrudingthroughtherooforalongthewallsofyourhouse.Ventsshouldbecappedtopreventcloggingfromoutsidedebrisandtokeepanairtightsealbetweentheinsideandtheoutside.Asimplewirescreenwillkeepsmallanimalsandbirdsfromnestinginyourvent. Continueyourinspectionoftheventsontheinsideofthehouse.Whenvisible,makesurethatventsareproperlyconnectedsothattheairwillventtotheoutside.Donotallowventstostopinyourbasementorcrawlspaces.Ventsmustendoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisveryimportantsincesewerscreatevaporsthancanbedeadly.Thesameistruewithagasfurnaceorgashotwaterheater.Makesurethattheyventallthewaytotheoutside.
Sewer Systems -Yourhomeshouldbeconnectedtoeitherthepublicsewersystemortoaseptictankinyouryard.Ifyouareonpublicsewer,youareresponsibleforgettingthesewerlinesfromyourhousetoyourpropertyline.Atthatpointtheutilityagencyisresponsiblefortransportingthesewage.Ifsewerlinesbecomeclogged,sewagecanbackupintoyourhouse.Whenthishappensyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem.Again,getalicensedplumbertocorrecttheproblem. Ifyouhaveaseptictank,youneedtoknowitslocation.Locatetheseptictankandthedrainfields.Thesizeoftheseptictankandthedrainfieldlinesdependontheintendeduseoftheseptictankandthetypeofsoilinwhichthe
24 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
drainfieldislocated.YourCountyHealthDepartmentcaninspectyourseptictankanddrainfieldtoseeiftheyareproperlysized. Ifyouhavebothaseptictankandawell,theseptictankdrainfieldandthewellshouldbeatleast50feetapart.Whensewageseepsintoyourwellyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem. Periodically,youwillneedtocleanoutyourseptictank.Ifyousmellfoulodorsinyouryardorhouseandifthegroundovertheseptictankorfilllinesaresoggyyouneedtohaveyourseptictankinspected.Youwillwanttouseaprofessionalseptictankpumpingservicetopumpoutyourseptictank.
PLUMBING MAINTENANCE TIPS Mosthomeownerscanperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenancetasksnecessarytokeeptheirplumbingingoodshape.Whenyougetintomoreseriousmatters,youshouldcallalicensedprofessionalplumber.Herearesomeverybasicbuthelpfultipsthatcanpreventsomemajorandcostlyplumbingproblems.
Shutoff Valves -Locateyourshutoffvalvesothatyoucangorighttothevalveincaseofemergency.Onceayearturnthevalvecompletelyoff.Thenopenthevalvecompletelyandturnthevalveonequarterofaturnback.Thiswillpreventthevalvefromcorrodingandgettingstuckintheopenposition.
Water Heaters -Everysixmonthsdrainafewgallonsfromthewaterheatertopreventtheaccumulation
ofsediment.Refertoyourownersmanualforinstructionsondrainingyoursystem.Also,inspectthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvesforoverflows.Again,refertoyourownersmanualtoseeiftheyareoperatingattheirdesignatedspecifications.Ifyouhaveagaswaterheater,aprofessionalshouldchecktomakesurethatitisventedproperly.
Drains and Vents -Eachmonthyoushouldcheckthepop-updrainsandstrainersinyoursinks.Checkthehotandcoldfaucetstomakesurethattheywillclosecompletely.Ifyouhavealeakatthehandle,it’sprobablyawornoutwasherthatneedsreplacing.Remember,ifyoudoanyworkonawaterfixture,youshouldshutoffthewatereitheratthefixtureoratthemainwatershutoffvalve. Beforewintercomesyoushouldmakesurethattheoutsidefaucetsareshutofforprotected.Coldweathercreatesaboomingbusinessforplumbers.Makesureanyexposedpipesorpipesthatarenotinaheatedroom,areproperlyinsulated.Inverycoldweather,youmaywanttoleaveafaucetdripping.Thiswillkeepthewaterinthepipesmovingandwillkeepthewaterfromfreezing.Freezingcausespipestoexpand.Whenthewaterthaws,olddecayingpipeswillburst.Whenthishappens,youshouldturnoffthewaterleadingintothehouseandcallalicensedplumber. Makeahabitofrunningveryhotwaterdownyourdrainonaregularbasis.Thiswillhelpmovealonganydebristhathasgottencloggedorbuiltupinyourdrain.Ifyousmellgaseousodorsinyourhouse,pourwaterdownthedrainandthenchecktheventing.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
25Plumbing
Water Supply -Ifyouareapublicwatercustomerandyouhavelowwaterpressureoralimitedwatersupplyduringtheday,reporttheproblemtotheutilityagency.Iftheutilityagencycannotcorrecttheproblem,youmayfirstneedtoreplaceyouwaterlinefromthewatermetertothehouse.Thenreplacethewaterlinesinyourhouse.Checkwithnearbyneighborstoseeiftheyarehavingwaterpressureorwatersupplyproblems. Ifyouareonawellandyouhavediscoloredwater,limitedwatersupplyorparticlesinyourwatersystem,youneedtohaveyourwellinspected.Wellscandryupovertimeandduringdryweatherperiods.Also,checktomakesurethatyourwellandseptictankareproperlyspaced. Ifyouhaveproblemswithdiscoloredwater,waterthatsmellsorwaterthattastesfunny,youshouldhaveyourwatertested.Privatelabs,utilityagencies,andsomeCountyHealthDepartmentscanprovidethisserviceforafee.Callthelabwhereyouaregoingtohaveyourwatertestedandaskthemtoinstructyouabouttheproperprocedureforcollectingthesample.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL Whenyouhaveplumbingproblemsthatarebeyondroutinemaintenancerepairs,youmayneedtocallonaprofessionallicensedplumber.Plumberscanbeexpensive.Theyshouldbelicensedandshouldhaveliabilityinsurance.Youmaywanttoaskafriendorrelativetosuggestsomeonetheyhaveused.Don’thesitatetoaskforreferencesanddon’thesitatetogetbidsfromseveralplumbers.Mostplumberswill
chargeafeeformakinganinitialvisit.Ifyouaregoingtogetbidsfromseveralplumbers,checkwiththembeforetheymakethetriptoyourhouse.Toprotectyourself,youshouldhaveawrittenagreementfortheworktobeperformed. Eventhoughwerecommendthatyouperformroutinemaintenancetasks,itmaybenecessarytocallaplumberforcertainitems.Ifyouarenotcomfortablewithperformingroutinemaintenance,thenyoushouldcallaplumber.Youwillhavespentlessmoneyonensuringthatyourplumbingsystemisproperlymaintainedratherthanwaitingtocallsomeonewhenyouhaveadisaster.Usecommonsensewithyourroutinemaintenanceandwithnecessaryrepairsthatoccuroveraperiodoftime.
26 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
Electricityisanessentialutilitythatoperatesthemajorityofourappliances,ourlightingand,insomecases,ourheatingandcoolingsystems.Itisautilitythatwehavelearnedtodependon,andwefinditmostaggravatingwhenourelectricalserviceisinterrupted.All electrical work and inspections should be performed by a licensed electrician only.Workingonyourelectricalcircuitryisdangerousandcanbedeadlyeventosomeonewhounderstandshowelectricityworks. Eventhoughwedonotrecommendthatyouworkonanyelectricalimprovements,therearesomethingsaboutelectricityyoushouldunderstand.Youneedtoknowhowandwhereelectricityentersyourhouse.Doesyourelectricityenterthehousethroughanoverheadwireordoesitenteryourhousethroughanundergroundconduit?Theelectriccompanyisresponsibleforprovidingelectricitytothemeter.Oncetheelectricitypassesthroughtheelectricmeter,itbecomesyourrespon-sibility.Theelectricityisthentiedintoanelectricalservicepanel.Onceinsidetheelectricalservicepanel,electricityis
Electrical System
Electrical System
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
distributedtothedifferentcircuitswithinyourhouse.
ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS Yourinspectionofyourelectricalsystemwillbeentirelyvisual.Donotinsertorprobeanytypeoftoolintoanyelectricalpanelorconnection.
Service Entrance -Ifyoureceiveyourelectricalservicefromanoverheadwire,youneedtomakesurethattheservicelineisproperlyconnectedintothehouse.Theelectricalcableshouldbehighenoughthatnoonecanreachitfromthegroundorfromanyattachedsteps.Youwillalsowanttomakesurethatthecableisnotinthepathofanyfallinglimbs.Duringicestormsandheavywindandrains,itisnotuncommonforatreeorsomebranchestofall.Anelectricalcablewillnotholdafallingtree.Instead,thecablewillsnaporbepulledawayfromthehouse.Whenthishappens,youarewithoutelectricityuntiltheelectricalcompanycanrestoretheline. Mostresidentialservicehas240voltpower.Ifyourhomeisolder,youmayhave120volts.Youmightconsiderupdatingyourelectricalcircuits.Again,thisisajobforaprofessionalelectrician.
Electrical Service Panel -Itismostimportantthatyouknowwhereyourelectricalservicepanelislocated.GotothesectioninthisHomeMaintenanceGuideforimportantnumbersandnotesandwritedownwheretheelectricityentersyourhouse. Withintheelectricalservicepanelyouwillfindbreakersorfusesthatprotecttheelectricalcurrentagainstshortcircuits.
Youwillalsoseeamainelectricaldisconnectswitchthatwillturnoffallelectricitycomingintothehouse.Oncetheelectricityenterstheservicepanelitisthenbrokendownintocircuitsthatprovideelectricitytospecificappliancesorareasofyourhouse.Makesurethateachbreakerorcircuitislabeledastowhereitisprovidingelectricity. Whenacircuitbecomesoverloadedwithelectricaldemand,thebreakerwilldisconnect.Whenthisoccurs,youshouldfirstturnofftheappliancesandlightsinthatcircuit.Thengotoyourelectricalservicepanelandfindwhichswitchhasbeendiscon-nected.Reconnectorflipthecircuittoseeiftheelectricityisrestoredtothatparticularcircuit.Ifyouflipthecircuitanditdisconnectsorflipsbackyouhaveoverloadedyourcircuit.Trynottooverloadyourcircuits.Alwaysusecommonsensewhendealingwithelectricity.
28 Electricity
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
Youwillalsowanttoinspectyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureitisgrounded.Theservicepanelshouldbegroundedeitherintothegroundorattachedtoametalcold-watersupplypipe.Homesbuiltsince1978arerequiredtohavebothgroundingconnections.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectyourhousefromlightning.
Electrical Wiring -Electricalwiringshouldbeconcealedbehindthewall.However,sometimesitisnecessarytorunelectricalwiringoutsideofthewall.Whenthisoccurs,allwiringmustberunthroughaconduittoprotectthewiring.Youshouldalsonoticethataswiringbecomesolditwillcrackandexposethemetalinsidethewirethatconductstheelectricity.Thisold,faultywiringisafirehazardandshouldbereplaced.Donotattempttoreplaceanywiringyourself.Alicensedprofessionalelectricianunderstandsthecurrentandcircuitrequirements.Eachyearwereadaboutnumerousfiresthathavebeenstartedduetofaultywiringthatcouldhavebeenprevented.
Room-by-Room Inspections -Asyouconductyourroom-by-roominspection,noticetheelectricalplugs.Sincethe1960s,buildershavebeeninstallingoutletswhereoneslotislargerthantheother.Youwillalsonoticethatmanufacturersaremakingoneprongofanelectricalpluglarger. TheGFCIoutletisanotheroutletdesignedtoprotectpeoplefromsevereelectricshock.Itmonitorsthecurrentanddisconnectsthecircuitifitsensesonimbalanceintheelectricalcurrent.
GFCIoutletsarerequiredinbathrooms,kitchenswithin6feetofasinkandoutdoors.YouwillknowifyouhaveaGFCIoutletbecausetherewillbearedbuttonlabeledtestandresetorTandR.YoushouldtestyourGFCIatleastonceamonthbypressingthetestbuttonandresettingit. Youcantesteveryoutletinyourhousebyusingacircuittesterorasmalllamp.Acircuittestercanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Acircuittesterindicatesifanoutlethasenergyandifitiscorrectlywired.Again,ifyouhaveelectricalproblems,don’tattempttomakethecorrectionyourself.Callalicensedprofessionalelectriciantodoyourelectricalimprovements. Asyouinspecteachroom,checkthelightswitchesandthelightfixturesbyturningtheswitchesonandofftoseeiftheyoperateproperly.Ifyouhaveanylightfixturesthathavehangingcordsfromtheceiling,checkthewiringveryclosely.Ifthewiringand/orinsulationaroundthewiringiscracked,youneedtohaveitreplaced. Extensioncordscanalsobeahazard.Ifyouhavetousethem,yourhomeprobablyrequiresadditionalelectricaloutlets.Extensioncordsshouldneverbesecuredwithnailsorstaples,runthroughwalls,underdoorsorundercarpets.Also,thesizeofthewireofanextensioncordshouldneverbethinnerthanthecordoftheapplianceitserves.
ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE Checkyourmonthlyelectricbillforsubstantialincreases.Remember,youarebilledontheamountofelectricityused. The best way to reduce your electric bill is to reduce the amount of
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
29Electricity
electricity used. Simplethingsthatwillhelpareturningoffthelightswhenyouleavearoomandturningoffapplianceswhennotinuse.Also,rememberthatheatingandcoolingwithelectricitywillsubstantiallyincreaseyourelectricbill.Ifyoustillthinkyourelectricbillishigh,youcancontacttheelectriccompanyandhavethemcheckthemeter. Thereareseveralthingsthatyouwillneedtocheckfromtimetotime.Everyspringorfallyouwillneedtochecktheoverheadservicelinethatconnectstoyourhouse.Makesurethattreesandlimbsareasafedistanceawayfromtheline.Ifyouneedtoprunetreesaroundtheoverheadserviceline,contactaprofessionaltreepruningserviceor,insomecases,yourelectricutilitycompanywilltrimuponrequest. Checkyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureyoucanlocatethepanel.Onceayearyoushouldexercisethebreakersbyflippingthemoffandonbyhandtomakesurethattheywilltripwhennecessary.
Overloadedcircuitsareoftenindicatedbyflickeringordimminglightswhenappliancesareturnedonandbyfrequentlyblowingfusesortrippingcircuitbreakers.Ifyoufrequentlytripthecircuitbreakers,thismayindicatethatyoudonothaveadequateserviceforyourelectricaldemand,orthatyouareoverloadingthatoneparticularcircuit.Trymovingappliancesandlightstootheroutlets. Onceagain,ifyouneedelectricalmaintenanceorelectricalwork,hireaprofessionallicensedelectrician.Electricityisacomplicatedutility,andyouwillwantsomeonethatunderstandshowitworks.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
30 Electricity
Heating/Air-Conditioning
Systems
Heating/Air-Conditioning
Systems
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Heatingahouseisessentialduringcoldweather.Ifyourhouseisnotheated,thenalltheothersystemsinyourhouseareatrisk.Pipeswillfreeze,electriccircuitswillbecomeoverloaded,andyouareputtingyourselfatrisk.Ifyourecentlyhadyourhouserehabil-itatedoranewhousewasconstructed,yourheatingsystemshouldbeadequateforthesizeofyourhouse.Aswithyourelectricalsystem,theinspectiononyourheatingsystemshouldbeconductedbyaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompany.However,youcanuseyoursightandsmellforinspectionsandtodetectproblems.
HEATING INSPECTION Therearemanydifferenttypesofheatingsystemsbuteachsystemisbasedonthetypeofenergyyouuse.Determinewhattypeofheatingsystemyouhaveandwhattypeofenergyyouareusingtoheatyourhouse.It
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
couldbegas-fired,coal-fired,electricheat,wood-burning,steamheatoracombinationofthese.Determineifyouhaveacentralheatingsystemorifyourhouseisheatedbyindividualunits.Onceyouhavedeterminedthetypeofheatingsystemyouhave,youshouldhaveaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompanyinspectyourunit. Ifyouhaveacentralheatingsystem,thenyouwillhaveacentralthermostatthatgivesyouatemperaturereading.Asthetemperaturechangeswithinyourhouse,theheatwillturnonandofftokeepthetemperatureoftheairconstant.Thecoldertheweather,themoredemandsthatwillbeplacedonyourheatingsystem.Thelesscoldairallowed
inyourhouse,thelessheatyouneedandtheloweryouheatingbillwillbe.Forthatreason,it’simportantthatyourhouseisinsulated.
HEATING MAINTENANCE Heatingandsystemsareexpensivetoreplace.Forthatreason,werecommendthatyouhaveyourlicensedheatingsystemprofessionalinspectyoursystemonceayear.IfyouwilldothisinSeptemberorOctober,youshouldhaveaproblem-freewinter. Ifyouhaveelectricalheat,oneoftheeasiestmaintenancetasksthateachhomeownercandoischange or clean the filter every month. Bychangingthe
32 Heating Air-Conditioning
filtersyouallowyourheatingsystemtooperatemoreefficiently.Thiswillsaveyoumoney. Youcanconserveheatbyinsulatingyourhousewithstormwindowsandstormdoors,atticinsulationandevendo-it-yourselfplasticseals.Insulatingwindowsanddoorswillreducetheamountofheatlossfromyourhouse.Thiswillalsoreduceyourenergybillandsaveyoumoney. Ifyousmellgasoroil,youshouldimmediatelyturnoffyourheatingsystemandcallthegasoroilcompany.Don’ttrytomaketherepairsyourself.Today’sgasfiredheatingsystemshaveasafetymeasureinstalledsothatifyourpilotlightgoesout,thenthegasautomaticallyshutsoff.Youwillknowifthesystemisn’tworkingbecauseyourhousewillgetcolderandcolder. Ifyouhavebaseboardheatorawallmountedheater,youshouldvacuumtheheateronceamonth.Besurethattheunitisturnedoffbeforeyoustartyourcleaning.Youshouldalsokeepobjectsfromcomingintodirectcontactwiththeheater.Thenewerunitshaveprotectivescreensthatkeepanythingfromtouchingthecoils. Everyheatingsystemisdifferent.Forthatreason,useonlyalicensedheatingandairconditioningprofessionalwhoisfamiliarwithyoursystemforroutineinspections,repairs,andmaintenance.
AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Therearetwoprimarytypesofair-conditioningsystemsusedinhomestoday:(1)centralair-conditioningsystemspoweredbyelectricityorgas,and(2)electricwindowunits.Thereareseveraldifferentvariationsofcentral
air-conditioningunitsandsomearecombinedwiththeheatingsystem.Aswithheatingsystems,alicensedheatingandair-conditioningprofessionalshouldperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenanceofthesystem.
AIR-CONDITIONING INSPECTIONS Again,youshouldonlyattempttoconductavisualinspection.Ifyouhaveproblemscallaprofessional.Yourair-conditionershouldbeinspectedannually,usuallyduringMayorJunewhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove60degrees.Aswithyourheatingsystem,youneedtoknowwhatkindofair-conditioningunityouhaveandwhattypeofenergytousetooperatethesystem. Withacentralair-conditioningsystem,youcandetermineifitisfunctioningproperlybyasimpletest.Holda12-inchpieceofyarnovertheair-conditioningvent.Thebreezeshouldbestrongenoughtomaketheyarnflutter.Dependingonthetemperature,youmaywanttoadjusttheopeningsoftheairvents.Forexample,thesideofthehousethatisgettingafternoonsunwillrequiremorecoolingduetotheexteriorheat. Awindowunitairconditionershouldbeinspectedonceayearwhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove65degrees.Eachspringyoushouldchecktheunittomakesurethatitissecurelyattachedinthewindows.Novinesorotherobstructionsshouldbewrappedaroundtheoutsidecase.Inspectthecaulkingaroundthewindowunit,boththeinsideandtheoutsideofthehouse.Makesurethatanyolddecayingor
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
33Heating Air-Conditioning
crackingcaulkingisreplaced. Awindowunitairconditioneruseselectricitytocool.Readthedirectionsandmakesurethatyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateyoursystem.Mostwindowunitswillhaveatleastathree-prongplug.Nevertwistorcutofftheroundprongtoforcetheplugtofityourelectricalreceptacleorcircuit. Anelectriciancandetermineifyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateawindowunit.Animproperelectricalconnectionmaydamagetheunitorcauseanelectricalfire.
AIR-CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE Youwillconserveenergyifyouwillsetyourunitononetemperatureandleaveitthere.Manypeoplewillcutofftheircentralair-conditioningduringthedaywhentheyarenothome.Thisactuallyismorecostlythansettingtheunitatonetemperatureandlettingitremainatthattemperature. Makeahabitofchangingorcleaningyourairfiltersatleastonceamonth.Thisallowsyourunittofunctionatitsmaximumcapacityandwillkeeptheairinyourhomecleaner.Knowwheretheair-returnventislocatedanddonotblockthefrontofthevent.
Allair-conditioningunitswillhavecondensationwhichwillresultinwaterdischargingfromtheairconditioner.Youshouldhaveapipefordrainagetotheexteriorofthehouse.Thesedrainscanbecomecloggedwithalgaeordebris.Thedrainlinesshouldbecleanedoutwithyourroutineannualinspection.Ifyouhaveawindowunit,youwillwanttomakesurethatthewaterdrainstotheoutsideofthehouse.Sometimesawindowunitwillshift,allowingthedrainagepipetodrainintoyourhome. Yourheatingandcoolsystemsaresospecializedthatallroutineinspections,repairsandmaintenanceshouldbeperformedbyalicensedheatingandcoolingexpert.However,youcanlearntorecognizeproblemsearlyonbeforetheybecomemajorproblemsthataremorecostlyandtimeconsumingtomake.Anannualinspectionofbothyourheatingandair-conditioningwilleliminateanumberofaggravatingproblems.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
34 Heating/Air-Conditioning
Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine
Inspection Checklist
Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine
Inspection Checklist
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Herearesomeroutinemaintenanceandinspectiontasksthatshouldbeconductedonyourhouse.Makeahabitofperformingthesetaskseachmonthandmakingthenecessaryrepairs.Thiswillreducethepossibilityofexpensiverepairsandmaintenanceinthelongrun.
JANUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3
Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectheatingsystemforsafety.nnn Checktheatticforcondensationduringcolderdays.
FEBRUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3
Cleanandreplaceairfilters.Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.Vacuumcoilsonrefrigerator.Makesureeveryelectricalplughasaprotectivecover.Makesurethatallelectricalwiresareunderthefloor.Makesureallelectricalfuseboxes,junctionboxesandswitchesarecovered.
MARCHYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthefoundationofthehouse.nnn Cleanthegutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanuptheyardfromthewinterstorms.nnn Removedeadandfallentreesandlimbs.nnn Checkgasconnections.nnn Drainyourhotwaterheater.
APRILYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checktheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.nnn Replaceorrepairthescreensofthedoorsandwindows.nnn Inspecttheroofforlooseordamagedroofingmaterials.nnn Checkforanysignsofwaterdamageordampness.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries
MAYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkfortermitesandotherpests.nnn Checkthepaintedsurfacesofthehouse.nnn Checktheroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutguttersanddownspouts.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
36 Monthly Checklist
JUNEYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthebasementfordampness.nnn Checkthelocksandlatchesonalldoorsandwindows.
JULYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectandmakenecessaryrepairstoflooringthroughouttheentirehouse.nnn Checkallstairwaystomakesuretheyaresecure.
AUGUSTYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Washandcleaninteriorwalls.nnn Makenecessaryrepairstoanydamagedwalls.nnn Drainyourwaterheater.
SEPTEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkinsulationinyourhouse.nnn Checkinsulationintheattic.nnn Checktheexteriorwalls/sidingofyourhouse.nnn Checkthefoundation.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
37Monthly Checklist
OCTOBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Secureweatherstrippingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Replaceorrepairanydamagedglassonwindowsordoors.nnn Cleangutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanchimneyandmakenecessaryrepairs.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries.
NOVEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Cleandeadplants,leavesandgarbagefromaroundthehouseandyard.nnn Checkgasconnectionstomakesuretherearenoleaks.nnn Checkyourroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutthedownspoutsandgutters.nnn Insulateallexposedwaterpipestopreventfreezing.
DECEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkallfaucets,hosesandvalvesforleaks.nnn Checkforanyexposedelectricalwires.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
38 Monthly Checklist
Caulking -Caulkingisthesealingofopenjoints,gapsandseamsinexteriorwallcovering.Caulkingkeepstheexteriorairandwaterfromenteringthehouse.Mostdoorsandwindowsarecaulkedaroundtherimoftheopening.
Conduit -Conduitgenerallyreferstoatubeorductthatcoverselectricalwiringwithinthewallsoralongexteriorsurfaces.
Crawl Space -Thespacelocatedbetweenthegroundandthesubflooringofthefirstfloor.Generally,thisareaisbaresoilandisanunheatedpartofthehouse.
Downspouts -Downspoutsarethatpartofthegutterthatcarrywaterofftheroofandawayfromthehouseandfoundation.
Electrical Service Panel -Theelectricalservicepanelisaboxthathousesthepointwheretheelectricalserviceentersthehouseandisdistributedtotheelectricalsystem.Itisusuallylocatedneartheelectricmeterbox.Theelectricmeterboxisthatpointwheretheelectriccompanydeliverstheelectricitytothehouse.
Flashing -Flashingissheetmetalorsomeotherdurablematerialthatisusedtosealjointsinroofs.Generallyusedwhenonematerialmeetsanother,forexamplewhenshinglesmeetbricks.
Footer -Afooteristhebaseofafoundation.Afooterisplacedonsolidsoilandthefoundationisbuiltupfromthefooter.
Grade -Thegradeofthegroundorsurfaceistheangleoftheground.
Grounded -Anelectricalwireisgroundedbyrunningarodintotheearthandbyattachingawiretoametalcoldwatersupplypipe.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectthehousefromlightning.Groundingpermitsstationaryappliancessuchaswashingmachines,clothesdryers,refrigerators,rangesandmicrowaveovenstobeusedsafely.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
39Glossary
Gutters -Agutterisinstalledalongtheedgeoftherooftocatchtherainsothatitwillcarryittothedownspoutandawayfromthehouse.
Jamb -Thejambistheverticalorsidepieceofthedoororwindow.
Joist -Ajoistorfloorjoististheparallelbeamsetfromwalltowalltosupportafloor.
Roof valley -Theroofvalleyiswheretwosectionsofaroofcometogethertoformavalley.Avalleyisgenerallyametalmaterialthatisplacedovertheshinglestochannelthewatertotheguttersanddownspouts.
Roof Vents -Roofventsareventsthatareinstalledtoallowmoisturetoescapefrominsidethehouse.
Sash -Thesashistheframethatholdstheglasspaneofawindowordoor.
Settling -Settlingoccursinahouseovertimewhenthegroundunderthehouseshifts.Ahousecansettlebecauseofpoorfoundation,useofheavyequipment,blastingnearby,earthquakesand/orundergroundwatersources.
Storm Windows and Storm Doors -Astormwindoworstormdoorisanadditionalglasscoveringinstalledoveradoororwindow.Astormwindowordoorreducestheheatlossfromahouse.
Subflooring -Thesubflooringisthesurfacethatisunderthefinishedfloor.Themostcommonexamplesofsubflooringarewood,concrete,andmortarbeds.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
40 Glossary