Give Your Home a Seasonal Tune-up!: Local SERVPRO® franchise professional says routine maintenance can help prevent the common sources of fire and water damage in homes and businesses

​Spring is the perfect time to assess the maintenance of your home after the long, cold, brutal winter months. A checklist from the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) outlines what it takes to help ensure your home is healthy - such as keeping it dry, clean, well-ventilated, free from contaminants, pest-free, safe and well-maintained.

As the disaster remediation specialists at SERVPRO know, unexpected issues can quickly turn your dream home into a nightmare. "While we specialize in cleanup, restoration and construction after a fire or water loss, we think it's even more important to do what you can to help prevent these losses in the first place," says Ryan Wolfe of SERVPRO of Lawrence, Owen, Greene & Martin Cos.. "Routine and effective maintenance will help you meet all these healthy home criteria and serves as one of your best defenses against the curveballs that can be thrown at your home."

While catastrophic events like storm-related wind, water and hail damage are usually covered by most standard homeowner's insurance policies, many maintenance-related claims are not - such as leaks over time or mold from lack of ventilation. So, on top of suffering a loss to property, there is a good chance the property owner will be on the hook for the entire cost of remediation and repairs.

To help pinpoint common areas of concern for routine home maintenance, the NCHH developed a Healthy Homes Maintenance Checklist.

"We deal with the consequences of unfortunate disasters that negatively impact the lives of property owners every day," says Wolfe. "The routine and simple spring maintenance tasks on this checklist can help minimize the types of hazards we specialize in remediating, and they can preempt many of the bigger problems that can cause significant damage to your property."

Fire

• Clean dryer vents and screens.

• Check electrical equipment for damaged cords.

• Test all ground fault circuit interrupters.

Water and mold

• Clean downspouts and gutters and ensure they direct water away from your home.

• Look for damaged or failing waterproofing, often caused by storms, such as lifting shingles, loose siding, or leaks around doors and windows.

• Test your sump pump, including the check valve. Clear out floor drains.

• Check hoses for leaks under sinks and on your water heater, washer, and refrigerator water dispenser.

"As a leader in fire and water cleanup and restoration services, SERVPRO understands that there are some things we simply can't control," says Rick Isaacson, CEO of Servpro Industries, LLC. "The weather is certainly one of those things. In spring, storms may bring flooding rain, lightning-sparked fires, and high winds, all of which can wreak havoc on homes and businesses. That's why it's important to take control where we can. Performing timely spring maintenance could be one small step to helping prevent a larger disaster that could permanently impact your family or property."

SERVPRO specializes in disaster cleaning, restoration, and construction services, helping to remediate damage, making it "Like it never even happened," for both commercial and residential customers. For more information on SERVPRO of Lawrence, Owen, Greene & Martin Cos., please contact Ryan Wolfe at (812) 275-2244 or rwolfe@servproofmarion.com. For more information about SERVPRO, please visit servpro.com.