House Repairs and Maintenance FAQs

6 min read

Home repairs in Avondale, or any other city for that matter, is a topic that overwhelms many homeowners. Understanding all the intricacies involved in maintaining or repairing a property is a challenge, and anticipating the potential expenses is another.

With this, repairs and maintenance are crucial in ensuring you enjoy an investment as significant as your home. To help you out, we’ve delved into all the basics of home repairs and maintenance you need to know by answering these frequently asked questions:

What Maintenance Does My House Need?

Performing the following routine maintenance tasks helps keep expensive and extensive repairs at bay:

• Clean or replace your HVAC filters every 2-3 months, or monthly if you live with pets or have allergies. Regularly checking and changing filters helps ensure your home gets proper airflow and ventilation.
• Watch out for leaks near toilets and sinks to prevent or address water damage right away.
• Check if your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly, and change batteries every six months. Inspecting your fire extinguisher and ensuring it’s accessible is also recommended.
• Run water in unused toilets or sinks, like those in guest bathrooms. Doing this every month prevents grime from building up on these fixtures.

Performing seasonal maintenance is also crucial in the upkeep of any home. Spring is the best time to remove dried leaves and other debris from your gutters, have your air conditioning serviced and ready for summer, and inspect any damage your house may have sustained in winter.

In summer, home repairs in Avondale will usually include:

• Checking for and repairing plumbing leaks.
• Giving the garage a deep clean.
• Cleaning exhaust vents.

Fall home maintenance is all about getting your heating system ready for winter, cleaning chimneys, testing your sump pump, and flushing and turning off your outdoor hoses and faucets. Doing so helps prevent the colder months from doing a number to your home.

Finally, winter home maintenance may include checking for icicles and ice dams, inspecting and cleaning basements, and watching out for drafts.

What Happens After Water Damage?

Water can enter your home due to a plumbing leak, appliance breakdown, or a flood, often wreaking havoc inside quickly. The excess water can spread within your property in minutes, soaking every piece of furniture and valuable item in its way.

Within 24 hours after the water damage, you may notice your drywall bulging, metal surfaces tarnishing, and pieces of furniture swelling and cracking. After 48 hours, any untreated water damage can start to cause secondary damage and even microbial growth.

Can a Water Leak Cause Structural Damage?

A seemingly minor water leak does more than create a mess in your home and inconvenience you. Instead, it can soak the insulation, make wood rot, and compromise other building materials, potentially causing structural damage.

Leaks can also create excess moisture indoors, creating the perfect environment for mold to grow and spread. Mold infestation is dangerous not only to your health but also to your home’s structural integrity.

How Can Homeowners Avoid Getting A Mold Problem?

Proper water damage restoration in Avondale is the most straightforward way to avoid dealing with mold in your home. The experts will know how to extract standing water and address lingering moisture to keep your home inhospitable to mold.

With that said, you also have a part to play as a homeowner. Keeping these tips in mind as you go through your daily activities can help you keep mold out of your house:

• Keep the humidity level in your home below 50% using dehumidifiers.
• Turn on the exhaust fans when using the bathroom or kitchen.
• Regularly inspect and repair roof leaks to prevent water from seeping into your building.
• Check your pipes, hoses, faucets, and other fittings regularly to detect and repair leaks promptly.
• Remove any standing water after a plumbing leak or flood as quickly as possible.
• Discard any item with mold immediately to prevent the spores from spreading inside.

What Do You Do After a Fire Incident at Home?

This is another topic that commonly makes property owners anxious. While seeing your home in ruins after the firefighters have left can be devastating, taking a deep breath and following these points will help you get on the road toward a smooth property restoration in Avondale.

• Contact your insurance provider to have an adjuster visit your property.
• Document all the damage and losses you incurred to aid your claim request.
• Begin the repairs by seeking expert help from a trusted local restoration company like Restoration 1 of Avondale.
• Wait for permission from the authorities before you re-enter your home.
• Sort your possessions and relocate salvageable items to a safe and secure location.
• Don’t try to remove damaged components on your own or clean smoke and soot, as this can put you or anyone in the vicinity in danger. Instead, let the professionals handle the restoration work for you. They have the proper equipment and skills to tackle the fire damage restoration process safely and effectively.

What is Fire Damage Restoration?

Fire damage restoration is the process of bringing a property back to its pre-damaged state after a fire. This project can take weeks or months to complete, depending on the extent of the damage.

Fire and smoke damage restoration typically involves:

• Removing damaged components.
• Evaluating structural framing.
• Removing or restoring HVAC systems.
• Treating for odor and contamination.
• Cleaning salvageable content.

Repairing and restoring a home after a fire requires specialized skills and professional equipment, so it’s best to find a team that’s trained, equipped, and insured to tackle such a project.

Work With the Right Property Damage Repair and Restoration Professionals

It’s never easy to keep your home in tiptop condition and protect it from all kinds of water, mold, and fire damage. With that said, diligently learning more about the fundamentals of home repairs and maintenance can help you understand the best steps to take when emergencies occur.

Another way to prevent incidents from destroying your property is to know who to turn to when disasters strike. If you are yet to find a local team you can trust for swift and professional home repairs in Avondale, look no further than Restoration 1. We are ready around the clock to come out to you and guide you through our straightforward restoration process.

Call the experts at Restoration 1 of Avondale for all issues affecting your home. From water, mold, and fire damage restoration to other services like board up and tarp over, asbestos removal, and odor removal, our expertise helps you get things back to normal.