When you own a home, you can always find things that need to be fixed when the weather changes, things that are broken, and improvements you have always dreamt of. Butler Contracting has you covered with home care tips to help you remember all the things you need to do to maintain your home.
- Lubricate door locks – Chances are your doors have been working overtime with your family being home more often. Frequent use can cause locks to become sticky. Lubricate your locks by squirting a small amount of powdered graphite into the keyhole. After applying graphite to the keyhole, insert, turn, and remove the key a few times to distribute the lubricant.
- Fix squeaky door hinges – Frequent door use might have also pointed out squeaky hinges. There’s no need to live with that annoying sound. Spray a small amount (a little goes a long way!) of white lithium grease or WD-40 on your door hinges. Open and close the door several times to move the grease around the hinge.
- Seal tile grout – Sadly, grout doesn’t last forever. This is an easy but time-consuming project to complete. Prep your materials, find a good radio station or audiobook, and get to work. Check out this tutorial for instructions on replacing tile grout.
- Check bathtub caulk – Cracked or missing caulk around a bathtub can cause water to leak behind the tub, leading to mold growth and water damage to the framing. This is another simple project you can do yourself. Remove the old caulk with a putty knife, dry the crack completely with a hair dryer, and apply a bead of 100% silicone caulk to the joint. To smooth out the bead of silicone caulk, put on a disposable glove, dip your index finger in mineral spirits, and use it to smooth out the caulk.
- If you don’t want to or don’t have time for these projects, give Butler Contracting a call for all your home repair and preventative maintenance needs: (844) 6BUTLER. Contact us to learn about our Family Maintenance Plan.
