Home Maintenance

If you have just had some repairs or improvements carried out with council assistance, you may wish to know the best way of maintaining your home so that it remains in good repair for as long as possible. 

Regular maintenance checks will identify items that may require repairs at an early stage and thus will avoid the need to spend large amounts of money prematurely. They will also allow homeowners to limit major repairs or replacement costs. A well-maintained property will generally realise its maximum value.

The following information may be of some assistance when formulating your own maintenance check list or schedule. 

A brief guide to maintenance checks

Externally

Chimney stacks – Inspections will be limited to visual inspection of the condition of the brickwork, pointing, chimney pots and chimney cappings. These checks should be carried out annually and a competent builder should carry out any works required.

Roofs – Checks visually for disturbed, missing or broken slates or roof tiles. Strong winds, particularly in spring and autumn, can dislodge or damage slates and tiles. Prompt action is required following any damage to roof covering to avoid any further damage to ceilings and decorations. Checks should be carried out twice yearly – late spring and late autumn. A competent roofing contractor should carry out all repair work.

Lead valleys, flashings, soakers and aprons – Visual checks again will be limited, but any missing or dislodged flashings will soon make themselves evident by staining marks on ceilings, particularly around the chimney stack area. Check twice a year, and if necessary, arrange for repair or replacement by a competent roofer.

Ridge and hip tiles – Check that ridge and hip tiles have not been disturbed following periods of strong winds. Check for missing pointing to ridge and hip tiles. Check that supporting hip irons are in good condition; again only visual inspections will be possible.

Rainwater goods – Guttering should be examined and cleaned out as necessary, preferably before the onset of winter. Check supporting brackets and gutter joint brackets, particularly the PVC type. Secure or replace as necessary. Annual checks are recommended for dislodged or leaking joints and work should be carried out to rectify any problems. Check that downspouts are not blocked and that all wall fixings are secure.

It may be advisable, particularly with older property, to arrange for your roofing / building contractor to carry out an annual check of all the above items and incorporate this into your maintenance schedule.

Brickwork – Should be virtually maintenance free. If the pointing is in good condition or has recently been re-pointed, then many years should elapse before any maintenance is required. A yearly visual check is all that is necessary and this will reveal any frost damage to both brickwork and pointing. Any open jointed brickwork should be raked out and re-pointed. Prompt action will avoid damp penetration through the brickwork affecting the internal plasterwork. Other possible problem areas are missing, damaged or open joints between coping-stones to boundary walls and, in particular, abutment walls.

Drainage – Possible problems may be blocked surface and foul water gulleys and manholes. Regular checks and removal of debris and leaves etc. will allow the drains to run freely. Regular flushing with a garden hose will solve most problems. However, if drains do become blocked and access is not possible, then a specialist drainage firm may be required to be employed to remove the blockage.

Damp Proof Course (DPC) – No maintenance required – any disturbance or alteration to an injection type of DPC will invalidate the DPC guarantee. Checks to be made are simple – ensure that the DPC is not bridged. Do not allow any material or debris to be placed against an external wall as this may cause bridging and allow dampness to bypass the DPC. Other possible problem areas may arise with raised patio areas, raised flower beds and ornamental walls built against the DPC on the external wall.

Window and door frames – PVC windows and doors are maintenance free for most of their expected lifespan, with the exception of the window pivot, pin hinges and handle fixings. Timber window frames will require regular maintenance in the form of a repainting programme at approximately three year intervals. It is most important to ensure that all painting operations are carried out correctly to maximum lifespan, as window replacement will be a costly and disruptive operation. The extra cost of ensuring a high quality painting programme will be cost effective in the long term.

Flat extension roofs – Newly constructed flat roofed extensions with built up felt roof covering should be trouble free for many years and if properly maintained, should have a life expectancy of approximately 10-15 years. Problem areas tend to be at the flashing junctions between wall and roof and vertical upstands. Other problems may be thermal movement causing cracking of the felt roof covering. This is usually caused by loss of the reflective limestone chippings, which protect the roof covering. Ensure a covering of limestone chippings to a depth of at least 25mm and avoid walking on flat roofs, as this will cause long term damage. If the flat roof starts to leak, then immediate attention is required to avoid further damage and the cost of replacing the roof decking.

Internally

Plumbing – Ensure that all cold water storage tanks are sufficiently insulated and have a close fitting cover. Check that all pipework in the floor and ceiling voids is properly lagged. Check that all ball valves are working correctly and replace or repair as necessary. Make a point of testing the main stop tap regularly. Dripping taps should be rewashered or repaired. Multipoints, combination boilers and central heating boilers should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.

A competent plumber should carry out any repair work that may be necessary and a Gas Safe Registered contractor should undertake any work that may be required to the gas installations.

Electrics – Following a rewire, the electrical circuits, both power and lighting, should be virtually maintenance free. 

Check the RCD test button on the consumer unit regularly. Check that appliances have the correctly rated plug fuses. Do not overload the circuits. Avoid using plug-in adaptors as this may overload the circuit. Check appliance flexes and leads for damage and repair or replace as appropriate. A qualified electrician should carry out any alterations or repairs to the electrical circuits for details of suitable electrical contractors in the Warrington area see Elecsa and NAPIT. Similarly a qualified electrician, who can issue you with the appropriate N.I.C.E.I.C. or E.C.A. Test Certificate, should carry out a periodic test inspection every five years.

Gas – Ensure all flues are swept before fitting any type of gas fire or heater. Check that all flues are unobstructed and working efficiently. Check that all gas appliances are firmly fixed and mounted correctly. Make sure all appliances are serviced regularly in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. A Gas Safe registered contractor must carry out any servicing, alterations or repairs.

Advice regarding any of these services can be obtained from contacting the various utilities.  Visit the Gas Safe Register website for more information.

Plastering – Newly plastered walls and in particular, walls plastered following an injection DPC, will normally take some months to dry out, six months should be sufficient in most cases. However, if the walls were extremely damp then a longer period will be required, and in some cases, as long as 12 months should be allowed before redecoration is possible. Salts may accumulate on the surface of the plasterwork and these should be lightly brushed off. Salting will stop when the plaster rendering is completely dry. All new surfaces should be thoroughly "sized" to seal the porous surface before redecoration.

Internal joinery – All new joinery should be given adequate time to dry out completely. Some shrinkage should be expected, although this should be limited to small cracks between joints. Once the timber is completely dry, small gaps should be filled in before painting. It is good practice to prime the timber then allow drying time before the undercoat and gloss finish are applied.

Last updated 01/02/2010 11:34:45

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