The best way to protect your self (and your pocket!) is to complete minor routine tasks, proactively and systematically, to to insure your home is operating and functioning normally. Avoiding major operating malfunctions or complete failures can easily be avoided if homeowners take just a few minutes to do some routine minor household tasks.

1. After any heavy rain, you need to check for pooling water. The concern here is your foundation. A surplus of rain around your house can not only cause problems within your crawl space but also damage your foundation as well as mold, mildew, and dry rot. The number one cause of pooling water is a poor drainage system. When your gutters fill with leaves and debris, it leaves the water with no where to go but over the side of your gutters. This causes an issue because the water is being relieved somewhere it wasn’t designed to go, which can lead to the issue of fooling water. You also need to be sure your downspouts are long enough to direct water away from your house. 

2. Water in the attic can cause damage to insulation, any mechanical equipment, and mold. These leaks can require new flashing or waterproofing around openings, or even be an early detector of needing to replace the overall roof. The best way to spot potential problems is to inspect your attic during a heavy rain. 

3. The secret to clean-looking tile floors, walls and counters? Clean grout. Tile resists dirt and stains but grout is porous and absorbs dirt and spills, so it stains easily. Cleaning your grout regularly will help to prevent cracks. Cracked grout will allow water to get behind or under the tile, which may cause damage such as mold and mildew. 

4. Running water through your garbage disposal during use will ensure that the food particles from your dishes are on their way to a sewage plant and not clogging your pipes or backing up your dishwasher. The garbage disposal is designed to work with your plumbing to dispose of food scraps through your drain pipes. If you don’t run enough water before and after you turn the garbage disposal on, you will not send the food all the way out of your drainage pipes.

5. If you want your driveway to last, stay away from rock salt. Driveways, especially concrete driveways, suffer more damage from this substance than the comparative good they bring. Aside from accelerating the rate of decay within the metal components of your driveway, the ice that thaws from rock salt seeps into your concrete, freezes, and corrodes the cement from the inside out causing cracks. 

6. Because decks are exposed to the elements all year round, it’s a good idea to establish a routine of upkeep that’ll protect your deck and prevent expensive repairs. These few tasks can keep your deck looking great:  

• Sand any splintered areas of the deck 

• Sweep any dust, dirt, or debris off of the deck to prevent any stains and/or mold growth

• Wash your deck with an appropriate cleanser

• Stain and seal your deck to to protect is against any sun, water, and mildew damage

7. Mounting a satellite dish on your roof disrupts the overall protection of the roof. The area where your dish is bolted in immediately becomes a     breeding ground for issues, including water damage.

8. Caulking provides a seal between two areas or surfaces to keep water from getting into the building or house. Water intrusion into a home or building can have devastating effects on the property. The water can rot wood, freeze inside masonry and cause defects or potentially create mildew. Caulking is just one basic step to help keep these and other problems from happening.