Maintenance Tips for WhiteStone Custom Home Owners
Keeping your custom home maintained is a simple way to ensure the longevity and quality of your home for years to come. We are presenting these tips and tidbits to guide you to the best home owner's experience through WhiteStone Custom Homes.
Item |
Time |
Maintenance |
HVAC - Filters |
Monthly |
Clean or replace air filters regularly to prevent unit malfunctioning. |
HVAC - Gas Furnace |
Yearly |
An authorized technician should review it at least once per year for proper functioning and venting. |
Appliances |
Monthly |
As a general rule, be sure to keep all appliances clean from lint, grease, and grime. Particularly around moving parts (ignition switches, seals, agitators, etc) make sure working area is clean to prevent malfunctioning. Check owners manual for specific requirements of each appliance. |
Cabinets |
As Needed |
Wipe down wood cabinets with a non-abrasive cleaner. Apply lubricant to drawers and hinges to prevent rusting/sticking. |
Tile, Stainless, Fiberglass surfaces and fixtures |
As Needed |
Always clean with non-abrasive cleansers to prevent scratching or damage. |
Carpet |
Weekly |
Vacuum at least once a week. Clean professionally at least once a year. Contact World Carpet to determine an appropriate stain remover, and use IMMEDIATELY upon staining. |
Countertops |
As Needed |
Always clean countertops with a non-abrasive cleanser or a soapy cloth. Always use a trivet or hot pad when placing hot items on the counter. Check caulk/replace caulk if necessary at all counter joints. |
Disposal |
As Needed |
Always run cold water when disposal is in use. Add a tray of ice cubes to running disposal monthly. |
Gas Logs |
Yearly |
Have an expert clean your gas logs yearly. This will prevent unnecessary dust buildup, which can cause malfunctioning. |
Roof |
Three Years |
Have a roofing professional inspect your roof at least once every three years. If a leak occurs, call a professional. Never remove flashing or roof tiles. |
Smoke Detectors |
Monthly |
Check your smoke detectors by pressing "test" once every month. Replace backup batteries when unit signals. |
Water Heater |
As Needed |
Keep your water heater at a reasonable temperature, about 130 degrees. Drain the water heater about once a year to flush any residue |
Tile
After drying your shower completely. It should take at least 3 days. Shower floor sometimes take weeks. You should also seal the grout and tiles with a penetrating tile sealer both when the shower is new and periodically through the years. Grout and ceramic wall tiles are not waterproof and will absorb quantities of water as the shower is used. Water is the element necessary for breeding mold and mildew. Sealing the grout and tiles will exclude much of this water from the tile installation. More importantly, you need to keep water intrusion from occurring.
There are many brands of tile sealers, all of which fall into two general categories: mineral based and latex or acrylic based. Use the latex based products. They won’t stink up your house like the mineral based ones will. If you buy your products (cleaners and sealers) at full line tile supply stores, you'll have the best chance of obtaining the very best products available. The people who work at these businesses are much more knowledgeable about tile products than, say, people who work at home centers. Home center employees simply have too many products to know about.
Sealers do not last forever. Expect to redo this work once a year. Check the directions on the container. Generally, you wipe the product on with a sponge or rag, allow it to soak in for a minute or two, and wipe the excess from the surface with a damp rag or paper towels. To make sure you've done a thorough job, repeat the process the following day. Allow the shower to dry overnight before you use it.
