Homeowner Maintenance/General Thread

[Osama Bin Laden]

If there's a thread that already exists, I'll delete it, but I specifically made this thread because I want to know the tips and tricks that come with owning a home and taking care of it.

 

[Brenda Holiday]

I was gonna make this exact thread... this comic describes the experience succinctly

Spoiler

Something I wasn't expecting, take your pest control seriously. I've been fighting wasps every fucking summer now. Finally got them to fuck off well enough for me to sit outside but now I'm dealing with a yellowjacket nest in the yard.

 

[Ibanez RG 350EX]

now I'm dealing with a yellowjacket nest in the yard.

I bought one of these traps they can get into but can't navigate back out and filled it with water, sugar, a little vinegar (I think just to keep honeybees away) and some kind of fruit and was killing the yellowjackets nesting in my shed literally by the hundreds - I had to empty it out every couple of days because it would get so packed full of tiny little corpses.



That was a couple years ago and I haven't seen them back since.

 

[Unarmed Gunman]

Finally got them to fuck off well enough for me to sit outside but now I'm dealing with a yellowjacket nest in the yard.

See https://drkilligans.com/blogs/insects/how-to-get-rid-of-wasps-with-diatomaceous-earth

I've had luck with Diatomaceous Earth in cases where the yellowjackets seemed to be eating that wasp spray for breakfast. Takes a few days to a week if I recall, but was by far the most effective treatment.

 

[Catgirl Tyranid]

I was gonna make this exact thread... this comic describes the experience succinctly

Spoiler

View attachment 7721940

Something I wasn't expecting, take your pest control seriously. I've been fighting wasps every fucking summer now. Finally got them to fuck off well enough for me to sit outside but now I'm dealing with a yellowjacket nest in the yard.

You should be raiding yellow jacket nests as soon as you see them. Fuckers are bastards and they kill the spiders which can help keep mosquito populations in check. Mud daubers are chill tho, they can stay as long as their nest isn't somewhere inconvenient.

On that note, don't leave standing water on your property or if you do put a drop of dish soap in it so the mosquitos fall through the water and drown.

TMD.

 

[BohemianBorzoi]

Avoid skylights. Doesn't matter how well they're installed, they all leak eventually.

When landscaping make sure you know which animals/insects will be attracted to what plants. Example: peony bushes are beautiful but they attract ants like crazy. You'll regularly get them inside if the bushes are placed too close to the house. Lavender on the other hand is generally left untouched by most bugs and animals, so it's fine to plant closer.

It's a pain in the ass but wash the walls in every room at least once a year. If you don't have pets or burn candles you can stretch it out closer to every 2. Preferably do it during a time of year when the windows can be left open. Only use a couple of drops of detergent in the cleaning water. Double check to make sure that the wall can handle being washed, some paints are more delicate than others. I use microfiber, but a normal towel is fine too. Dust before starting, always wash top to bottom.

Every 3-4 months I'll also wash baking soda with vinegar down my drains. Helps prevent buildup and odor without the need for drain cleaner. Be careful if the pipes in the house are older, but it generally shouldn't cause any issues.

Spoiler: Sink Cleaning with Vinegar

-Boil water and pour it slowly down the drain.
-Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain.
-Follow with 1 cup white vinegar.
-Flush again with boiling water.

There are also pre-made checklists online that are helpful. It can be hard to remember when things were last maintained, especially when certain things have to be done only once a year.

Spoiler: Checklist Examples

 

[Dagoth AMOGUS]

Just buy a new home every so often

 

[MrTroll]

If you're going to kill people and hide their bodies in a crawl space under your floor, please spread plenty of lime around. Don't be that jerk who just stinks up the whole neighborhood with his corpse stash.

 

[Osama Bin Laden]

I haven't personally dealt with this, but I've heard it's difficult to find good contractors, and when you do, you have to bother them in order to get your work done. i would like to hear some contractor advice if anyone has some

 

[Grub]

i would like to hear some contractor advice if anyone has some

Don't go to the cheapest one you can find because the quality of the work will reflect the price but also the most expensive one isn't usually worth the price and the quality of the work likely won't end up reflecting the price unless it's some kind of company that focuses on high end customers that are known for good work.

 

[YautjaWeeb]

Clean your gutters every fall you niggers if a jam up causes a leak it's going to be at the most inopportune time possible and do way more damage than you thought possible.

Replace your laundry hoses with the quick-shutoff heavy sheath kind and/or turn your taps off when you vacation unless you want to come home to 3 feet of water.

Clear your dryer vents inside and out especially if one cycle doesn't dry everything.

If you have a front load washer leave the door open at all times otherwise that mold shit will grow behind the drum and ruin it. Do not use fabric softeners use 'forever chemical' laden dryer sheets

Lubricate your garage door tracks with white lithium grease every season and clean the old gunk out. Do not lube the big spring get a pro to do it ~once every 3-5 years.

If you have a pool, good luck with that I'd close it and fill it in or just let the raccoons swim, shit, play and wash their hands in it. Give up now if you value your sanity.

Your neighbors are probably just retards and so are the wildlife pests, go easy on them if you can.

 

[mold]

It's a pain in the ass but wash the walls in every room at least once a year.

do you have any suggestions for making washing my godawful 80s textured walls easier

 

[Forsaken Wanderer]

Anyone know how to stop toilet plungers from leaking water (not sealing correctly) ?

 

[Blue Flying Leaf]

Open the lid and spin the centre core left and right. You may have to replace gasket on bottom anyway

 

[Overwritten Tapes]

Change your A/C filter every 3 months if you have no pets, or monthly if you do.

Invest in a cheap carpet washer such as a hoover pet one, even if you have no pets. Especially if you wear shoes inside (why would you do wear them inside?)

Dump a trays worth of ice into your garbage disposal weekly to clean it.

 

[Sienna Fuegonasus]

do you have any suggestions for making washing my godawful 80s textured walls easier

Sugar soap and a soft bristle brush, work in sections and dry as you go.

 

[mold]

Sugar soap and a soft bristle brush, work in sections and dry as you go.

thank you!

 

[Ibanez RG 350EX]

Lubricate your garage door tracks with white lithium grease every season and clean the old gunk out. Do not lube the big spring get a pro to do it

Why? They're just springs - it's not rocket science to put some kind of lube on them and if they were fatigued, they'd be far more likely to break when you're opening or closing the door.

 

[BohemianBorzoi]

do you have any suggestions for making washing my godawful 80s textured walls easier

Microfiber cloths work well. You might like a microfiber mitt if your walls are really rough. that way you don't have to wrap your hand in multiple cloths:


A large washcloth or hand towel should be fine too. Avoid things that will shread like paper towels and natural sponges.

Plain warm water is fine, but there's a few different cleaning mixtures you could try if you want to deodorize. I like to do a teaspoon of (usually peppermint) Dr. Bronner’s soap to 1 gallon of warm water. Otherwise a tablespoon or two of white vinegar per gallon works too. If the paint is delicate your safest bet is to add nothing.

 

[mold]

my issue is everything I use to clean them gets snagged on the horrendous texture

every time I think about it too hard I just want to knock the whole fucking house down and live in a tent