So you’ve finally got a quiet weekend ahead. You could treat yourself to two days of Netflix and snacks, or you could treat your house to a little spruce up.
With a billion and one things to do every week, it’s easy to let home maintenance slide. At AMI, we see a lot of gradual damage claims coming through on house insurance. It can be from something that started as a small problem that was never dealt with.
So here are a five simple things you can squeeze into your weekend to make your home safer and less likely to fall victim to gradual damage. You could probably even fit in few hours of Netflix once you’re done.
So that’s two days, five quick fixes - let’s go!
Caulking and sealant in your bathroom and kitchen isn’t just a finishing touch. It prevents water from getting through to the walls and floors around showers, baths and basins. If yours is looking a little worse for wear, it might be time for a refresh. Look for areas where it’s worn down or chipped away and re-apply there. It’s a bit finicky, but a satisfying task and will help to stop gradual water damage further down the line.
If you’re the type of homeowner to vigilantly lock your doors, you want to know the lock is doing its job, right? Older doors might have loose screws or just plain old locks on them. Start by replacing the strike - that’s the metal plate that the lock slides into. You might also want to replace the hinge screws with longer ones. This will help the door hold on nice and tight.
Filters can become fire hazards much faster than you think. Air conditioning, tumble dryer and heating filters should be changed or cleaned on a regular basis.
Your garage door might be used even more than your front door on a daily basis. So it’s a good idea give it a once over every now and then. You’ll want to check for dings or cracks, the state of weather stripping under the door and debris around the sensors. If it’s a bit squeaky, treat your door to a bit of WD-40.
Loose and broken window catches can let in the damp, cold and baddies. Save yourself the trouble of damage and easy break- ins by replacing old window catches and seals. You’ll be much toastier and safer too.
