Introduction

Your home is like a superhero in your life, the caped crusader against decay, pests, and everyday wear and tear. It’s your fortress, and it deserves all the love and protection you can give it! It’s also the largest investment that you’ll ever make in your life. So, it makes good sense to do everything you can to maintain it.

In addition to protecting the structural integrity of your home, regular maintenance will make it more comfortable, safer, and more energy efficient. And don’t forget that a well-cared-for home stands out in the neighborhood, and that’s worth something — a bigger price tag when it comes time to sell, or simply the satisfaction of knowing that you’re in charge of your home and not vice versa.

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of home-maintenance fun. Buckle up as we dive into the world of preserving your castle’s integrity, boosting comfort and energy efficiency, and standing tall in the neighborhood with a well-cared-for abode.

Home Maintenance For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is your trusty sidekick, packed with tips and tricks to keep your home shining like a beacon of pride and satisfaction. Enjoy the adventure!

About This Book

Like most For Dummies books, Home Maintenance For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is a reference, meaning that it was written with the expectation that you would not read it from cover to cover over a couple of sittings. Instead, consider it one of the most important reference tools in your home-maintenance arsenal — like your prized hammer or power drill that you pick up and use whenever necessary.

Each chapter is divided into sections, and each section offers instructions on a different home maintenance task, like

• How to fix those pesky floor squeaks
• What to do when you know you’ve got a leak but you don’t know where it’s coming from
• What cleaning solution is the best for removing mildew
• How to easily maintain those confusing machines that keep you comfortable, like your furnace, boiler, air conditioner, and water heater
• How to prevent a flooded basement and how to fix it if your last fix didn’t work
• How to reduce your energy costs while improving your comfort — all at once
• How to decide whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor

Who needs this book? Everyone — no matter if your home is new or, like mine, was built in the last century! Seriously, if your home is an apartment, condo, single-family house, flat, co-op, cave, or hut; if you rent, own, or borrow; if your habitat is old, new, or somewhere in between, this book is for you.

Conventions Used in This Book

To help you navigate through this book and make maintenance as easy as possible, I’ve set up a few conventions:

• Italics are used for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms that I define.
• Boldface indicates the actionable part of numbered steps.

In addition to these standard conventions, whenever a task takes more than a few tools, I’ll provide a list so that you can gather everything you need before you start to work.

What You’re Not to Read

This book is written so that you can easily find information and easily understand what you find. And although I’d like to believe that you want to pore over every last word between the two yellow-and-black covers, I actually make it easy for you to identify skippable material — the stuff that, although interesting and related to the topic at hand, isn’t essential for you to know. This text appears in sidebars, which are the shaded boxes that appear here and there throughout the book. They share personal stories and observations, but they aren’t necessary reading.

Foolish Assumptions

You know what they say about the word assume. In any event, I’ve made the following assumptions about you:

• You care about the appearance and condition of your home and, hence, its value.
• You’re not a home-improvement fanatic, nor are you particularly handy — you don’t need to be.
• You have a song in your heart, a smile on your face, and an insatiable desire to see your home be the best that it can be.
• You don’t have a warehouse full of tools and you’re interested in getting only the tools you need. A few tools are of infinite value when it comes to home maintenance. However, the most complicated tool that you’ll need is a cordless drill/driver for sinking a screw here and there. The tools that you’ll find yourself needing most often are a scrub brush, a paintbrush, and plenty of patience.
• You’re the type who always seeks help when needed and always puts safety first when attempting a home-maintenance endeavor.

How This Book Is Organized

The chapters of this book are divided into the following parts so that you can easily find just the information that you’re looking for.

Part 1: Home Maintenance and You

This part introduces you to the benefits of home maintenance and to the major systems and components in your home. You can also find a series of lists to help you keep your home-maintenance tasks organized. Follow this schedule, and your home will love you for it.

Even though you don’t have to read this book from cover to cover, I strongly recommend that you check out the three chapters in this part so that you have a clear understanding of what parts of your home require maintenance and why you should pay attention to them.

Part 2: The Energy Envelope

Your home’s envelope consists of all its exterior surfaces and associated components like windows and doors. And don’t forget the attic, roof, basement, and foundation. For you to be comfortable inside your home, its exterior must be secure and in sound condition. Turn to this part to discover how easily you can maintain your home’s exterior.

Part 3: Key Systems — Plumbing and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning)

Nothing is scarier than hearing a noise that wasn’t there before emanating from mechanical equipment: a popping sound in the water heater, a faucet that suddenly sounds like it’s running on a flat tire, or a screeching racket inside the deepest, darkest part of your furnace. If you want to prevent or repair these elements of your home, check out this part.

Part 4: Inside Home Sweet Home

This part contains information on the stuff that you come into contact with on a day-to-day basis within your home, such as the walls, ceilings, floors, interior doors, cabinets, countertops, and appliances, to name a few. If you never venture into another part of this book, and you accomplish most of the tasks contained in this part, you’ll be light-years ahead of the home-maintenance curve. Part 4 helps you patch walls, quiet floors, unstick doors, cure cabinet woes, and fix fireplaces. And, as an added bonus, you’ll find out how to keep your home and yourself safe and secure. If this book could be compared to a meal, this part would definitely be the main course.

Part 5: Out in the Great Wide Open

If Part 4 contains all the stuff that you see everyday in your home, Part 5 is all about what you (and others) can see outside your home, such as walkways, paths, patios, decks, and driveways. Think that the interior of your home takes a beating? Consider the abuse that your wood deck, concrete patio, or metal porch railing is subject to from constant exposure to sunlight, rain, wind, and snow. Wood oxidizes, cups, and cracks; concrete expands, contracts, chips, and cracks; and metal can become a full-blown science experiment when covered with rust. Fortunately, Part 5 is chock-full of money-saving and time-tested tips and recipes that will tame even the most ferocious home-maintenance predator in your great wide open.

Part 6: The Part of Tens

In this part, you’ll find ten cleaning solutions you can make yourself. Not only will these recipes save you all kinds of money, but you’ll actually know what’s in the products you’re using. You’ll also find out about the ten home-maintenance skills you need to keep your home in tip-top shape, plus ten smart home products that I think will add value and convenience to your home ownership experience.

Icons Used in This Book

Some information in this book is so important that it’s emphasized by placing little pictures (called icons) next to certain points. Here’s what the icons mean:

This icon flags text that’s important and not to be forgotten.

The Tip icon represents your basic good idea or trick-of-the-trade. It’s what you wish somebody told you before you found out the hard way. I’m that somebody.

Kidding aside for this icon. I use this icon to steer you clear of things not to do! It points out dangers and health hazards you should be aware of.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the pages you’re reading right now, this book comes with a free access-anywhere cheat sheet that offers a number of home-maintenance-related pearls of wisdom. To get this cheat sheet, visit www.dummies.com and type...