General Maintenance

General maintenance items are tasks which you need to perform on your home periodically on a regular basis at certain times throughout the year. Maintaining your home on a regular basis is something we all must do to prolong the life of the components of the house. In the long run it saves you money. This is a good list of items; however there are others which you may want to add to the list on your own which are somewhat specific to your house.
OZ Construction Services Inc. is a Full Service General Contracting Firm who specializes in all types of Home Renovations. Should you desire to renovate your home or apartment please take a look at our List of Services that we provide to our clients or contact us with any questions you may have.
OZ Construction Services Inc. is a Full Service General Contracting Firm who specializes in all types of Home Renovations. Should you desire to renovate your home or apartment please take a look at our List of Services that we provide to our clients or contact us with any questions you may have.
1. Clean all Gutters and Downspouts.
This task should be performed in the spring and again in the fall. Gutters or downspouts which are clogged with leaves or debris can lead to several types of problems concerning water damage to your home or water penetration.
Faulty gutters which leak at seams can also cause problems. We recommend inspecting the seams of all gutters and downspouts for leaks and cleaning them twice a year as stated above. You can also install gutter screens which will keep the debris out of the gutters and prevent gutters from getting clogged.
2. Check Your Roof
Flat Roofs - Inspect your flat roof for open seams at each seam on the roof. Check for blisters, depressions which will cause puddles to form on roof, and bubbles. Check all flashing at chimney, vent stacks and walls. If you have a flat tar and gravel roof check for missing or eroding gravel. Make sure there are no tree branches scraping against the roof surface from trees which may be on your property and hang over your roof. Remove all debris from roof and trim tree branches if necessary.
Shingle Roofs - Inspect your roof for ripped, torn or damaged shingles. Also check for loose or missing roof shingle. Check for excessive wear in areas that are walked on constantly if any and especially in spots where a downspout from an upper roof empties water onto a lower roof. Check all valleys and flashings. Make sure all flashing material is intact and secure at chimney and vent stacks. Check all areas that may have television antennas or satellite dishes mounted to the roof deck. Check your roof twice a year.
Slate & Clay Roofs - Check your roof for cracked broken or damaged tiles. Check for displacement of tiles and missing tiles as well. Check all flashings. Slate and clay roofs are very expensive to repair and usually require the expertise of a true professional with the proper work experience and training in regards to repairing these types of roofs.
3. Eaves
Check all soffit material. Some soffits are aluminum, some vinyl, and some wood. Check to see that all aluminum and vinyl are tightly secured. In the case of wood soffits check the overall condition of wood. Is it rotted, is the paint peeling, does it need to be sanded and repainted, etc. Also check all wooden fascia boards on the house. Are they rotted, do they need re painting, are they secure, etc. Check your eaves twice a year.
4. Exterior Walls
Masonry walls need to be checked for deteriorated mortar (Pointing). Check stucco walls for cracking and the stucco itself pulling off the exterior walls. Check exterior walls twice a year.
5. Windows & Doors
Check the weatherstripping and caulking at all windows and doors. Recaulk or replace damaged weather stripping where needed. Replace any broken glass in windows if necessary. Clean all tracks at windows and sliding glass doors. Check windows and doors twice a year.
6. Wooden Decks & Porches
Check all wooden components for rot and insect infestation. Check the stability of steps and railings. Resecure or tighten if necessary. Re-stain, re-paint, or re-waterseal your deck at least every 2 years. Check decks and porches twice a year.
7. Garages
Check all wooden components for insect infestation. Termites are found in garages quite often. Check condition of roof shingle. Trim any trees or branches that are near or touch the structure. Trim all shrubs away from garage walls. Test your automatic garage door openers auto reverse feature. This feature should be tested at least once a month and adjustments should be made to unit if needed. Clean floor drains if present and if necessary.
8. Concrete Walkways & Driveways
Inspect concrete sidewalks, driveways, and walkways for lifting or excessive settlement conditions. Check grading of asphalt or cement areas at the perimeter of the house. If these areas are damaged or excessive settlement or lifting has occurred it may create a grading problem. If these areas are sloped towards the structure and water runoff flows and sits at your foundation walls it could lead to water problems. Correct any grading problems or trip hazards due to excessive lifting or settlement. Check all concrete and asphalt surfaces twice a year.
9. Fencing & Retaining Walls
Wooden fencing and posts should be checked for rot and insect infestation. All posts should also be checked for stability and security where they are set into the ground. Re-stain, re-paint, or Re-waterseal all wooden fencing as necessary. (At least every 2 years) Check chain link or any type of metal fencing for rust or corrosion. Check stability of all fence posts. Check retaining walls made from wood, stone, masonry, concrete, concrete block, etc. for movement. Note any type of shifting or cracking. If shifting or cracking is noted, the wall should be monitored for future movement. Check fencing and retaining walls twice a year.
10. Plants, Trees, Shrubs
Remove all vines which are growing on the structure if any. Trim all trees which are touching or near the structure. Trim all shrubs back away from the house. Remove any tree or shrub which is planted to close to the house and creates a problem. Trim all trees and shrubs as needed at the beginning of spring.
11. Concrete or Block Foundation Walls
Check all concrete, concrete block, and masonry foundation walls for cracking or bulging. Large cracks should be monitored for future movement. Check all mortar joints. Re-point walls if needed in affected areas. Seal all cracks and monitor them to see if movement is present. If the crack opens again there is movement. Check your foundation walls twice a year.
12. Wall and Ceiling Surfaces
Check all walls and ceilings for cracks. Small cracks are common. Crack of 1/4 inch or more are not. Should you find cracks this size monitor the crack for future movement. Check all walls and ceilings twice a year.
13. Plumbness of Door Frames
Check all door frames to determine if they are square. If you notice that your doorways are slightly slanted you should monitor them for future movement. If the condition worsens significantly over a 4-6 month period it may indicate a serious problem. A professional should be called in to examine the situation. Check all door frames for plumb twice a year.
14. Electrical Wiring & Equipment
If your house has overhead service wires check them periodically (6 months) for damage or to see if they show signs of fraying, especially if the service wires run through trees and scrape against branches. Check any overhead lines which may feed your garage or shed as well. Check all exterior receptacle covers. If there are no covers present over the exterior outlets they should be installed. Also all exterior receptacles (outlets) should be GFI's (Ground Fault Interrupters).
If your house has aluminum wiring you should check connections at the junction boxes, switches or outlets on the interior of the house to ensure they are tight. You may want to call in a licensed electrician for this if you are not familiar with the electrical system in your home or are afraid to attempt this on your own for whatever reason. We recommend calling in an electrician. Aluminum wiring has a tendency to loosen at the terminal screws of outlets and switches causing short circuits at times. A qualified licensed electrician can correct these problems for you by several methods depending on the materials which exist in the house.
During your inspection of the wiring, any wiring that you notice which is frayed should be replaced right away by a qualified electrician. This also goes for damaged extension cords or appliance plugs and wiring. Test all GFI receptacles throughout the house as well to ensure that they are in proper working order.
15. Plumbing System
Supply Lines - Check main line as it enters building from street. Check your main shutoff valve. If the valve is a gate type and looks corroded it should be replaced with a ball valve type. The main valve is important and must achieve 100% shut down in case of emergency. Testing old valves could cause problems. If valve looks rusted or corroded call in a plumber to replace it. Do not try and shut it down to see if it is working. Check all valves under all sinks. Open and close them once a year to check operation.
Replace washers in any leaking faucets. Adjust floats in toilets which continually run or replace flapper as necessary. Replace interior guts of tank as necessary as well.
If your home has well water check the quality of the water at least once a year. An outside company can perform the test for you.
Waste Lines - Check functional flow of wastewater at all fixtures and exterior floor drains. Snake out all lines which appear to drain waste water slowly. Check all visible waste piping under sinks and in basements for leaks. Have your septic tank cleaned annually.
16. Safety Checks
(Inspect and test these items on a monthly basis)
• Auto reverse feature on automatic garage door opener.
• All ground fault interrupter receptacles and circuit breakers.
• All smoke alarms.
• Inspect all windows to be used for emergency exits.
• Carbon monoxide detectors.
• General inspection of AC/heating unit and water heater. (Just a simple check)
Things to Know About Your House
If you can't find or operate any of the items below, ask someone knowledgeable to help. All adults in the home should know where these items are and how to shut them off: It would be a good idea to identify and tag these items with name tags of some sort. Also you should write down the locations and operating procedures of each of the items below. Keep the information accessible in case of an emergency.
• Main electrical shutoff (Main Service Panel)
• Main water shutoff
• Fire extinguishers
• Main drain line cleanout
This task should be performed in the spring and again in the fall. Gutters or downspouts which are clogged with leaves or debris can lead to several types of problems concerning water damage to your home or water penetration.
Faulty gutters which leak at seams can also cause problems. We recommend inspecting the seams of all gutters and downspouts for leaks and cleaning them twice a year as stated above. You can also install gutter screens which will keep the debris out of the gutters and prevent gutters from getting clogged.
2. Check Your Roof
Flat Roofs - Inspect your flat roof for open seams at each seam on the roof. Check for blisters, depressions which will cause puddles to form on roof, and bubbles. Check all flashing at chimney, vent stacks and walls. If you have a flat tar and gravel roof check for missing or eroding gravel. Make sure there are no tree branches scraping against the roof surface from trees which may be on your property and hang over your roof. Remove all debris from roof and trim tree branches if necessary.
Shingle Roofs - Inspect your roof for ripped, torn or damaged shingles. Also check for loose or missing roof shingle. Check for excessive wear in areas that are walked on constantly if any and especially in spots where a downspout from an upper roof empties water onto a lower roof. Check all valleys and flashings. Make sure all flashing material is intact and secure at chimney and vent stacks. Check all areas that may have television antennas or satellite dishes mounted to the roof deck. Check your roof twice a year.
Slate & Clay Roofs - Check your roof for cracked broken or damaged tiles. Check for displacement of tiles and missing tiles as well. Check all flashings. Slate and clay roofs are very expensive to repair and usually require the expertise of a true professional with the proper work experience and training in regards to repairing these types of roofs.
3. Eaves
Check all soffit material. Some soffits are aluminum, some vinyl, and some wood. Check to see that all aluminum and vinyl are tightly secured. In the case of wood soffits check the overall condition of wood. Is it rotted, is the paint peeling, does it need to be sanded and repainted, etc. Also check all wooden fascia boards on the house. Are they rotted, do they need re painting, are they secure, etc. Check your eaves twice a year.
4. Exterior Walls
Masonry walls need to be checked for deteriorated mortar (Pointing). Check stucco walls for cracking and the stucco itself pulling off the exterior walls. Check exterior walls twice a year.
5. Windows & Doors
Check the weatherstripping and caulking at all windows and doors. Recaulk or replace damaged weather stripping where needed. Replace any broken glass in windows if necessary. Clean all tracks at windows and sliding glass doors. Check windows and doors twice a year.
6. Wooden Decks & Porches
Check all wooden components for rot and insect infestation. Check the stability of steps and railings. Resecure or tighten if necessary. Re-stain, re-paint, or re-waterseal your deck at least every 2 years. Check decks and porches twice a year.
7. Garages
Check all wooden components for insect infestation. Termites are found in garages quite often. Check condition of roof shingle. Trim any trees or branches that are near or touch the structure. Trim all shrubs away from garage walls. Test your automatic garage door openers auto reverse feature. This feature should be tested at least once a month and adjustments should be made to unit if needed. Clean floor drains if present and if necessary.
8. Concrete Walkways & Driveways
Inspect concrete sidewalks, driveways, and walkways for lifting or excessive settlement conditions. Check grading of asphalt or cement areas at the perimeter of the house. If these areas are damaged or excessive settlement or lifting has occurred it may create a grading problem. If these areas are sloped towards the structure and water runoff flows and sits at your foundation walls it could lead to water problems. Correct any grading problems or trip hazards due to excessive lifting or settlement. Check all concrete and asphalt surfaces twice a year.
9. Fencing & Retaining Walls
Wooden fencing and posts should be checked for rot and insect infestation. All posts should also be checked for stability and security where they are set into the ground. Re-stain, re-paint, or Re-waterseal all wooden fencing as necessary. (At least every 2 years) Check chain link or any type of metal fencing for rust or corrosion. Check stability of all fence posts. Check retaining walls made from wood, stone, masonry, concrete, concrete block, etc. for movement. Note any type of shifting or cracking. If shifting or cracking is noted, the wall should be monitored for future movement. Check fencing and retaining walls twice a year.
10. Plants, Trees, Shrubs
Remove all vines which are growing on the structure if any. Trim all trees which are touching or near the structure. Trim all shrubs back away from the house. Remove any tree or shrub which is planted to close to the house and creates a problem. Trim all trees and shrubs as needed at the beginning of spring.
11. Concrete or Block Foundation Walls
Check all concrete, concrete block, and masonry foundation walls for cracking or bulging. Large cracks should be monitored for future movement. Check all mortar joints. Re-point walls if needed in affected areas. Seal all cracks and monitor them to see if movement is present. If the crack opens again there is movement. Check your foundation walls twice a year.
12. Wall and Ceiling Surfaces
Check all walls and ceilings for cracks. Small cracks are common. Crack of 1/4 inch or more are not. Should you find cracks this size monitor the crack for future movement. Check all walls and ceilings twice a year.
13. Plumbness of Door Frames
Check all door frames to determine if they are square. If you notice that your doorways are slightly slanted you should monitor them for future movement. If the condition worsens significantly over a 4-6 month period it may indicate a serious problem. A professional should be called in to examine the situation. Check all door frames for plumb twice a year.
14. Electrical Wiring & Equipment
If your house has overhead service wires check them periodically (6 months) for damage or to see if they show signs of fraying, especially if the service wires run through trees and scrape against branches. Check any overhead lines which may feed your garage or shed as well. Check all exterior receptacle covers. If there are no covers present over the exterior outlets they should be installed. Also all exterior receptacles (outlets) should be GFI's (Ground Fault Interrupters).
If your house has aluminum wiring you should check connections at the junction boxes, switches or outlets on the interior of the house to ensure they are tight. You may want to call in a licensed electrician for this if you are not familiar with the electrical system in your home or are afraid to attempt this on your own for whatever reason. We recommend calling in an electrician. Aluminum wiring has a tendency to loosen at the terminal screws of outlets and switches causing short circuits at times. A qualified licensed electrician can correct these problems for you by several methods depending on the materials which exist in the house.
During your inspection of the wiring, any wiring that you notice which is frayed should be replaced right away by a qualified electrician. This also goes for damaged extension cords or appliance plugs and wiring. Test all GFI receptacles throughout the house as well to ensure that they are in proper working order.
15. Plumbing System
Supply Lines - Check main line as it enters building from street. Check your main shutoff valve. If the valve is a gate type and looks corroded it should be replaced with a ball valve type. The main valve is important and must achieve 100% shut down in case of emergency. Testing old valves could cause problems. If valve looks rusted or corroded call in a plumber to replace it. Do not try and shut it down to see if it is working. Check all valves under all sinks. Open and close them once a year to check operation.
Replace washers in any leaking faucets. Adjust floats in toilets which continually run or replace flapper as necessary. Replace interior guts of tank as necessary as well.
If your home has well water check the quality of the water at least once a year. An outside company can perform the test for you.
Waste Lines - Check functional flow of wastewater at all fixtures and exterior floor drains. Snake out all lines which appear to drain waste water slowly. Check all visible waste piping under sinks and in basements for leaks. Have your septic tank cleaned annually.
16. Safety Checks
(Inspect and test these items on a monthly basis)
• Auto reverse feature on automatic garage door opener.
• All ground fault interrupter receptacles and circuit breakers.
• All smoke alarms.
• Inspect all windows to be used for emergency exits.
• Carbon monoxide detectors.
• General inspection of AC/heating unit and water heater. (Just a simple check)
Things to Know About Your House
If you can't find or operate any of the items below, ask someone knowledgeable to help. All adults in the home should know where these items are and how to shut them off: It would be a good idea to identify and tag these items with name tags of some sort. Also you should write down the locations and operating procedures of each of the items below. Keep the information accessible in case of an emergency.
• Main electrical shutoff (Main Service Panel)
• Main water shutoff
• Fire extinguishers
• Main drain line cleanout