Autumn Home Maintenance: 'Tis the Season
- Mar 1
- 5 min read
Autumn (or Fall as our north American friends call it) is my favourite season, especially when I find myself in parts of the world with deciduous trees, but it’s also a little bitter sweet. I lament the end of long days and the on-coming cold weather. As we start to spend more time inside, it’s a great opportunity to assess the health of our homes and make sure they’re spic-and-span ready for the approaching hibernation. So that’s what this season’s top 4 to-do’s are all about. Hope it's useful. Sam
Was that crack there before? Is this one getting bigger? Buildings move and that causes cracking, especially in Melbourne where most of the city is built on clay. If your land is classified as H1 (Highly Reactive), H2 (Very Highly Reactive), or even P (Problem) soil, your home has a high probability of movement caused by the natural contraction (when dry) and expansion (when wet) of the foundations due to weather and climate. Changes to your structural bones might be warning signs, but you need to know what to worry about, and what’s normal. Data is the key.
Get yourself a ‘Crack Gauge’ (yep, that’s a thing) to measure and record the width, depth and/or length of a crack. Take photos as well to keep on file. These records give you critical information about the rate of changes over time, or whether everything is fairly stable. It can prevent panic, or provide useful data points to the engineer.
While auditing the tell-tale signs, also check for less obvious things like larger trees whose roots may be encroaching on the foundations. A long, hot summer may have caused the tree to send out seekers in search of new water sources – like your water pipes!
Another cause of movement is poor drainage causing footings to shift, so check for signs of leaking underground pipes and collapsed junctions. Look for waterlogged ground, or plants around the house perimeter which seem to be thriving (a sure sign there’s an abundant water source)!
A CCTV inspection of your drains will head off any issues brewing, such as roots penetrating your stormwater, or collapses in the sewer. For a few hundred dollars and a couple of hours, a plumber can give you a full report of the condition of your underground plumbing, and potentially save you thousands. (Read this Cautionary Tale about hiring someone to undertake this task and making sure you get what you’re paying for)
Water damage causes more issues in Aussie homes than fire. The trouble is that it can go undetected for ages – until it’s a serious problem. You may notice swollen skirting boards, dark paint patches, a musty smell in the cupboard, or a crack in the ceiling plaster. Behind the sink or vanity, you may find the backsplash seal cracking or pulling away; or worse, or the shower recess/bath may be riddled with mould. Yuck! No matter what advertisers may tell you, once the silicone has mould spores, you cannot get rid of it. Time to re-silicone. (See the Bang! Club Library for how-to resources)
Get yourself a $50 moisture meter and check around wet areas (bathrooms, laundry etc) and the adjacent rooms/downstairs for signs of dampness.
Check your grout – is it crumbly or degraded? Missing chunks? That’ll lead to water getting behind your tiles. Is the silicone mouldy or pulling away from the edges? A sure sign there is water getting in behind it, or under the glass screen.
Look in the backs of built-ins or behind furniture in rooms that share walls with wet areas, and in the back of your vanity to check for signs of water damage or mildew - sometimes a damp smell gives it away.
Efflorescence is a white powdery substance that shows up on bricks as a result of excess moisture seeping through and causing the salts to migrate to the surface, potentially indicating a leak under the slab/behind the wall.
Contrary to popular belief, Draino is actually pretty bad for your pipes, but bicarb is a good natural option on the regular. However, I reckon once a year or so, you might want to clean out the gunk that could lead to blockages. Beware! It's super gross.
Apart from going in from the top to clean the plug hole, kitchen sinks and bathroom basins usually have an accessible waste trap under them. Grab a bucket, don some rubber clothes, hold your nose and unscrew the lock nut on each end of the bendy bit of the pipe (a strap wrench might be helpful for this step). Tip out the water that sits in it (to prevent gases coming back up through the plug hole), and give the whole assembly a good clean. Just make sure to use a different sink to pour out the contents! Plus, be careful not to knock anything else from the original position – small misalignments will prevent the compression rings from sealing properly leading to a leak.
TOP TIP: Always take a ‘Before’ photo before you disconnect anything, as well as during, so you have a reference image to put it back together correctly!
Also check the hose connections and fittings for any looseness, signs of leaking, wearing etc. Don’t forget the flexible inlet hose from the wall that fills your cistern. As I mentioned in Summer’s edition, these are supposed to be replaced 5 yearly, so I’m told. (Read more here)
If you do have a blockage, Suzi (aka Mrs Plumber Mumma) recommended Bang! Clubbers in our Expert Insights webinar series to use a handheld auger (‘drain snake’) to relieve it. This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use device that you can pick up at any hardware store. Just make sure you buy a small coil size, be patient and go slow, and if you have any problems, make sure you call a licensed plumber ASAP.
Window dressings are, in my view, the eyelashes of the house. Curtains and blinds act as a trap for dust, insects, dead skin cells – all kinds of yuck. Of course they also pretty up the space, and perform the essential dual functions of privacy and energy efficiency. So apart from helping them look their best, giving these workhorses some overdue TLC, you’ll be doing your health and wallet a favour.
To start, give them a thorough clean. Venetian slat cleaners are life-changing! But definitely launder fabric curtains this Autumn, and wipe down the roller or vertical blinds. It might be easier to remove them from their cradles – a pretty simple task because usually they simply click in.
If years of summer sun has left your window dressings faded or damaged, think about an upgrade. People get rid of incredible stuff on Marketplace, so maybe you can pick up someone's bargain cast-offs. If energy efficiency is your priority, go for honeycomb blinds. If block out is called for, a combo of roller blind & curtain, or heavy, lined drapes are the way to go.
Check cords and other mechanisms to make sure they’re in good condition. Roller blinds are easy peasy to repair if the chain is stuck or broken by simply buying a new control mechanism (they even sell them at the hardware store). Don’t put up with it when it’s so simple to fix!
In the Bang! Club Library you’ll find a resource all about window dressings, including how to measure and install roller blinds.
The Home Owners’ Operators Manual is filled with other tips for taking care of your biggest asset from pre-purchase inspection through to financing renovations. Download the complete e-Guide now.
