6 Home Maintenance Tips for Single Moms

Life as a single mom can be challenging, especially if you are also holding down a career while raising your family. One of the difficulties some women face is maintaining their home and being the first line of defense when something goes wrong or needs repairing. Even if you are comfortable with DIY work and understand what needs to be taken care of, finding the time to fit the jobs into your already full schedule can seem impossible. However, neglecting home maintenance can lead to much more serious and expensive problems down the line, and prevention is much better than cure. Here are six home maintenance tips for single moms.

Check the roof

Without a roof, you are literally without shelter for your family, so you should make its maintenance a priority. When small issues are left without attention, it can lead to a leaking roof or a pest infestation. You can check the roof for missing shingles or damage yourself, but you could also book a professional to inspect your roof.

Clear the gutters

When the gutters fill up with leaves and dirt, or a critter decides to make a nest up there, the obstruction can prevent water from flowing leading to leaks and overflows. The weight of debris can also cause the gutter themselves to sag and crack. Before the gutters get to that point, be sure to clear them out regularly, particularly after a period of heavy rain. Click here for more information on clearing gutters.

Check for cracks in bathroom caulk

Your shower, bath, toilet, and faucets will all be sealed with caulk to prevent water from seeping through the wall or to the floor. If cracks start to form, water can seep through and cause structural issues. Take a look around the bathroom now and again and, if you see any cracks, you can reseal them using caulk from your local DIY store.

Service the heating system

Your heating system should work without a hitch most of the time. You might not even notice it most of the time if it comes on automatically when the temperature drops. Of course, that is until the heating system breaks down and you are without hot water. To reduce the likelihood that the heating system breaks down, you should book a professional to service it on an annual basis. This will catch small problems before they develop into costly breakdowns. If you believe there might be an issue, book a professional hot water repair engineer.

Clean the dryer of lint

Dryers either have a filter within them that needs to be cleared of lint after each load or connected to a vent on the outside of the house. This needs to be cleaned a few times a year to ensure that the dryer can work efficiently and, more importantly, to prevent fires.

Test batteries in the smoke and carbon monoxide detector

Your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential pieces of equipment in your home, and if the batteries run out, your whole family’s safety could be at risk. They should make a noise when the batteries are low, but you might miss these noises, or they could have malfunctioned, so be sure to check they are working and swap the batteries twice annually.