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FAQs
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Home Maintenance FAQs
There are a lot of common issues on a house that could have costly specialized repairs running a range in the thousands. Handymen are often qualified to handle these at a fraction of the cost, but you won't get the same warranty on their services. Keeping up with quarterly and annual maintenance costs less than $50/m and can greatly expand the life and efficiency of these big-ticket items. For appliances: Find the right chemical to run a cleaning cycle every quarter. You can get a foaming cleaner for A/C coils, and flush your water heater annually with nothing but a garden hose.
Main water lines and pressured irrigation main lines can crack or corrode over time as the ground settles around them. These can be anywhere from 3-6 feet deep, and simply finding the source of the leak could be tricky. Start by locating 3 things: The main water valve (typically in between the sidewalk and the street), the evidence of the leak (wherever bubbling/spraying water is in the lawn), and the water meter (typically raised a few feet right next to the house). Mark a straight line from the meter to the valve and cross it perpendicularly to intersect the leak. That is where you should start digging (after shutting the water off).
Cement one post at a time and connect the next post into the fence before cementing it. This will ensure the fence is able to fit perfectly and even affords the opportunity to take a step back and make sure the fence is level and straight. The most common mistakes from a DIY fence include: (1) Setting posts too far or too close to each other, (2) Setting posts without accounting for level, (3) Cutting water, gas, or electric lines while digging, (4) Failing to properly mix & pour concrete footings.
You can reduce the decibel rating in a home office or an entire house by following a few simple (and cheap) steps: #1 Caulk the baseboards and window frames. #2 Install sound-absorbing foam panels anywhere that makes sense and looks good (above cabinets, on the ceiling of a closet, behind paintings...etc). #3 Install sound absorbing vinyl panels in a decorative pattern on walls or along the ceiling trim. #4 Seal door frames and the sweep underneath.
Chemicals can kill weeds, but may also be harmful to plants, grass, and animals that have access to the garden. Totally removing the weeds is the first step. The ground can be sprayed to make sure nothing grows from the root pieces. Then, lay overlapping weed fabric across the whole planter area (including under a barrier). Secure a barrier at least 2" above the ground level around the perimeter of the planter. Finally, lay down some wood chips or rocks (2" deep) and raise the barrier between the planter and surrounding area so none of the ground cover spills over.
This is typically caused by inefficient watering in that area. Some things that could help are: Replacing the filters in your sprinkler heads, raising/straightening sprinkler heads, or moving the sprinkler heads along the same or a new line to get coverage where it needs to go. For dry patches in a large yard without any shade, you may be fighting an uphill battle. Consider building a planter with shade or flowering trees that could cast a shadow over the dry patch at some point during the day. Most types of grass only need 20-40 minutes of water/day even in the summer time. If you are watering longer than that, either your grass is steaming like a vegetable in the sun, or isn't getting efficient coverage.
Replacing and hardwiring a new doorbell can be as cheap as $20. Even smart doorbells with cameras can be less than $50. Installing is easy and relatively risk-free so ling as the originating wires are in good shape and are long enough. The labor for an install would be around $25.
Grass around chain link fences can be difficult to maintain. Installing ground cover however could make a huge difference! There are a lot of different materials that can be used as ground cover, but the idea is the same: Cover/block growth immediately under the fence so you never have to weed or edge or mow it. Materials and installation are about $2/foot.
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