Starting Your Home Nerd may have been a mistake. After writing my first post about being a homeowner who knows almost nothing about home improvement, I decided to begin my education with a very simple question: What things around my house am I actually supposed to maintain?
I expected a short list. Change the AC filter. Mow the lawn. Replace a light bulb when it burns out. Occasionally stand in the front yard and look at the roof to make sure it's still there. Apparently, this is not enough.
It turns out a house is basically a giant collection of things quietly deteriorating while you watch Netflix. And we're supposed to be maintaining them. Who knew? Well, probably most of you. But this is Your Home Nerd, so we're starting at the beginning. Here are 10 things I've discovered that homeowners are apparently supposed to be maintaining.
1. The HVAC System
I actually knew about this one. Mostly. You're supposed to change the air filter regularly. I've been doing that for years, which means we're starting with one point for Fred. Unfortunately, my research indicates there's more to an HVAC system than an air filter.
There are coils. Drain lines. An outdoor condenser. Electrical components. Refrigerant. And apparently we're supposed to have the whole thing inspected and serviced periodically instead of waiting until it's 103 degrees outside and the AC stops working.
That last strategy has traditionally been my maintenance plan. Home Nerd Question: How often does an HVAC system really need professional maintenance? We're going to find out.
2. The Water Heater
This one bothered me. For most of my adult life, my water-heater maintenance program has consisted of:
- Own water heater.
- Turn on shower.
- Hot water comes out.
- Continue doing nothing.
Apparently, there are additional steps. I've learned that sediment can collect in the tank and that manufacturers commonly provide instructions for draining or flushing tank-style water heaters.
Then I discovered something called an anode rod. There's a metal rod inside the water heater designed to corrode so the tank doesn't. I have questions. Lots of questions. Starting with: How long has that thing been in there? This definitely deserves its own investigation.
3. The Gutters
I understand what gutters do. Rain hits roof. Water goes into gutter. Water goes somewhere other than through living room ceiling. I feel pretty good about my grasp of the basic concept.
The problem is that gutters collect leaves, twigs and whatever else Mother Nature throws onto your roof. If they're clogged or aren't draining properly, water can end up where you don't want it.
So we're apparently supposed to clean them, inspect them and make sure the downspouts are actually directing water away from the house. This also raises another Home Nerd question: How far away from the house should that water actually go? Adding it to the list.
4. The Roof
My previous roof inspection procedure was extremely sophisticated. I would occasionally look up. If shingles were still visible, the roof passed. I'm beginning to suspect professional roofers use a slightly more rigorous methodology. Roofs can develop damaged shingles, flashing problems, sealant issues and other trouble that isn't necessarily obvious from the driveway.
Storms add another wrinkle. Living in Texas means our roofs occasionally experience weather that seems personally angry with them. So one thing I want to learn is whether homeowners should have roofs inspected regularly or primarily after major weather events. More importantly: How do you tell the difference between normal wear, a repair and “you need a new roof”? That's going to be a future post.
5. The Foundation
This is the one every Texas homeowner loves. You see a crack somewhere in the house and immediately wonder whether you're looking at normal settling or the opening scene of a financial horror movie. I've learned that drainage around the house matters. Soil matters. Moisture matters. Trees can matter. Where water goes when it rains matters.
And apparently not every little crack means your house is splitting in half. That's comforting. I want to understand what homeowners should actually watch for and when a foundation issue deserves professional attention. Because “I saw a crack and panicked” doesn't seem like a particularly useful diagnostic method.
6. The Plumbing
I know how to maintain my plumbing. When water comes out where water isn't supposed to come out, I call somebody. Done. Except there are things homeowners can apparently monitor before reaching that stage. Small leaks. Dripping faucets. Running toilets. Water pressure. Slow drains. Corrosion. And one extremely important thing every homeowner should probably know:
Where is the main water shutoff? I'm going to confess something. If a pipe burst right now and somebody yelled, “Fred! Shut off the water!”, I would know generally what we're trying to accomplish. Execution might involve some running around. That's something we're fixing.
7. The Dryer Vent
Wait. We're supposed to clean the dryer vent? I don't mean the little lint screen. I know about that. I'm talking about the vent that runs from the dryer through the wall and eventually outside. Lint can apparently accumulate inside that ductwork, reducing dryer efficiency and creating a potential fire hazard.
This is exactly the kind of thing Your Home Nerd is going to investigate. Because nobody has ever walked into my house and said: “Fred, how's your dryer exhaust duct looking?” Now I'm curious. And slightly concerned.
8. The Sprinkler System
My relationship with sprinkler systems has traditionally been simple. If the grass is brown, it probably needs more water. If the sidewalk is wet, something is pointed the wrong direction. Turns out irrigation systems have valves, controllers, sprinkler heads, zones, schedules and leak possibilities. They're also affected by seasons and weather. So blasting the same amount of water onto the lawn every Tuesday forever may not qualify as sophisticated irrigation management.
I'd like to figure out how often homeowners should inspect their sprinkler systems, how to identify hidden leaks and whether adjusting the heads is actually something I can do without creating a neighborhood fountain. I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. It only requires a screwdriver. I own one of those.
9. Trees and Landscaping
I always thought landscaping was mostly about making the house look nice. Plant some bushes. Keep the grass alive. Occasionally pull weeds. Mission accomplished. Apparently landscaping can affect the house itself. Trees can grow too close to structures. Branches can damage roofs. Roots can create problems.
Poor grading can direct water toward the foundation instead of away from it. Plants growing against siding can hold moisture. Suddenly the bushes are involved in structural engineering. Great. This is also an area where I'm going to need considerable professional assistance because my plant-identification skills remain:
Tree. Bush. Flower. Weed. I'm very confident about weeds.
10. Smoke Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Safety Stuff
Finally, there's the stuff that isn't really about protecting the house. It's about protecting the people inside it. Smoke detectors need testing. Batteries need replacing. The detectors themselves don't last forever. Carbon monoxide detectors have their own maintenance and replacement recommendations.
Fire extinguishers need checking. And I'm sure I'm going to discover several other safety-related things I've been blissfully ignoring. Unlike some of the items on this list, these aren't things I want to learn about after they fail. So we're putting safety pretty high on the Home Nerd research list.
Apparently, I Have Some Homework
What began as a simple question has now produced approximately 47 additional questions. Which, strangely enough, means this little experiment is working. I started Your Home Nerd because I'm not a contractor. I'm just a homeowner trying to understand the place I live. And I've already discovered that owning a house involves much more preventative maintenance than my previous strategy:
Wait until something makes a weird noise. So we're going to take these topics one at a time. I'm going to research them. I'm going to talk to people who actually know what they're doing. I'll figure out what homeowners can reasonably do themselves, what should be left to professionals and which things we should simply be paying more attention to.
And somewhere along the way, I might even become handy. Let's not get carried away. For now, I'll settle for knowing where the water shutoff is. One project at a time. — Fred, Your Home Nerd