Tag Archives: Maintenance
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The Home Toolbox Essentials
Posted on May 30, 2021 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItTools are in abundance. I love tools. And I also realize that my passion and experience on home maintenance may be of help to you. In an earlier article I identified the first two tools every home owner needs. The first was a ladder. The second was a good wet-dry vacuum. The third is a […]
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You Just Moved In – Now What?
Posted on May 20, 2021 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItFirst, congratulations on the transition and move into your new place. Recently I’ve spent more time with folks moving out. Many more folks are still looking for a place. You’re moving in! Exciting! Exhausting! Scary! This whole house (and that mortgage) are all yours! NOW WHAT?! I want to offer you some steps that can […]
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Rain Drain Maintenance
Posted on January 21, 2021 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItOutside drains are an item we seldom think about. They are located on driveways, in the middle of yards, and around walkways providing the vital function of collecting rain water and diverting it to drain systems – underground piping. These pipes end up in drain fields and city storm systems and most importantly down grade […]
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Ways to make your painting project pop!
Posted on April 20, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThe upkeep and painting of our house siding is a big deal. There is nothing that will cause a more drastic improvement in the appearance of our house. Years can be erased from the stylistic appearance and years of longevity can be added with the well done painting project. If only the same could be […]
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Creature Colonization Prevention thru Crawlspace Covers
Posted on March 20, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItWhen it comes to crawlspace access covers there are some that work better than others. This may seem obvious but as you will see, there have been some notable efforts. The goal of a crawlspace cover is two-fold: 1) Keep moisture out, 2) Keep rodents and pests out. Here are my grades on several I […]
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Airing out (and in) our houses
Posted on March 10, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItAir must get in. Air must get out. How’s it going in your house? I find that most new construction is not doing enough to ensure proper air exchanges. The air that we are breathing at the beginning of the week is often the same air at the end of the week. Who enjoys breathing […]
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Time Change, Time to Change
Posted on February 29, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThe time change is a great reminder of some essential household maintenance chores. Here’s a list of twelve items: 1 – Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. While you are at it, test these and push the button to make they are all working. These have an estimated life of about […]
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Garbage disposals are not garbage disposals
Posted on February 10, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItI have a complicated relationship with garbage disposals. These small appliances installed in kitchen sink drains are a helpful aid to those of us frequently on dish duty, but they often leak and can cause dishwasher issues. Hopefully this will help clear up a few misunderstandings about how to use them. First, garbage disposals are […]
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Checking out the “behinds”
Posted on January 20, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThis is a home maintenance article so let me clarify that I’m referencing behinds in your house 🙂. There are a few behinds for you to check out as a home owner where issues can be addressed before they become major problems. Behind #1 – Furnace in the garage. In many homes this will be […]
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Roof Maintenance – plumbing vents
Posted on November 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere are open pipes sticking out of our roofs. And you might wonder, Aren’t holes in a roof bad? Not in this case. Let me explain what they are and then offer a suggestion for keeping these in good working order in the future. These are plumbing vents so that when you pull the plug […]
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