Maintaining Your Dream Home
We pride
ourselves on building and delivering homes that bring our clients'
vision and imagination into reality. We build dreams. Along with a
focus on aesthetics, we construct homes that are designed to
maintain
their luster and beauty for decades. But this is only possible if a
home is nurtured and cared for over time. Once
they have settled into their new home, it becomes increasingly the
client's responsibility to maintain it. As a professional builder,
we
have a period of time in which we respond to warranty service calls
and
address questions from our new homeowners. Eventually the baton is
passed to our owners for regular home maintenance. This helps insure
a
comfortable, secure and safe living environment and protects an
important financial investment over time. And
while every house we build is slightly different, specifically with
regards to the various exterior and interior finishes, (from the
roofing to the countertops, flooring, and paint coatings) they all
need
to be cared for properly to retain our clients' investment and
maximize
their quality of life. We see it as our responsibility to educate
and
help our clients tackle their role as 'good stewards' of their
home. Wood Floors.
All types of wood flooring material, whether solid wood, composite,
or
laminate, require regular care. For prefinished products, no waxing
is
required. Clean these surfaces using a regular application of warm,
soapy water. To maximize the life of wood flooring, keep it dry and
free of debris that can cause scrapes and discolor the
finish. Drainage.
An engineered combination of a home's roof design, gutter system,
and
placement on the lot, work together to shed water from the house and
its foundation. To maintain an optimum level of drainage, have
gutters
cleaned twice a year, ideally before the rainy seasons. Also,
adjust
the gutter's downspouts to empty into splash blocks or extend at
least
two feet away from the home's exterior walls. If you add shrubs,
flowerbeds, or other landscaping around your house, angle (or grade)
the dirt away from the home's foundation. Appliances.
Refer to your homeowner's manual or binder to find the user manuals
to
all of the kitchen and other major appliances in the house. These
guides typically include seasonal and periodic maintenance tips. For
instance, your refrigerator coil should be cleaned twice a year;
check
the seal of the door gasket, as well, to make sure you're not
wasting
energy. In addition, the clothes dryer vent hose (between the dryer
and
the wall) and the vent louvers on the outside of the house should be
cleaned out at least semi-annually. Every three months, replace the
furnace filter, clean out the dishwasher strainer, and drain and
flush
sediment from your water heater. Such maintenance chores allow these
appliances to operate at their optimal performance and extend their
usable lives. Air ducts and ventilation.
Air ducts and vent registers can become clogged or stifled with
debris,
reducing their ability to distribute conditioned air and keep your
house comfortable. About every two years, hire a professional
service
company to clean them out. For the same reason, clean the filters
and
check the general operation of ventilation fans in the kitchen and
bathrooms so they work efficiently, as well. Roofing.
Make regular and thorough roof inspections. Pay attention for
missing
or damaged shingles or voids in the flashing that may allow moisture
or
air infiltration. Replace or repair as soon as possible to ward off
problems that can occur unnoticed or unseen. By
following these guidelines, the time and energy owners invest in
their
home will continue to provide dividends well into the
future.
 Sunwood Development
Corp
273 North Colony Street, Suite 2
Wallingford, CT 06492
203.269.0325 - Phone
203.265.3676 - Fax
Amy@SunwoodDevelopment.com
www.sunwooddevelopment.com
c.
2009 All rights reserved.
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