Keep Your House in good Shape An Incredibly Handy Home Maintenance Guide

Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape: An
Incredibly Handy Home Maintenance Guide
By Dakota Prieur
Faculty of design and Arts
Abstract
No matter what place you call home, the very word strikes a chord deep inside
each of us. Home means sanctuary, the place we can rest, relax, enjoy time with
friends, learn, grow and just be. Our homes say a lot about who we are and what
we think is important in life. In this paper you will see the importance of a home
and you can maintain it for your better lifestyle.
1.0 Introduction
Our homes say a lot about who we are and what we think is important in
life.
"Sacred Space is where you can find yourself again and again." - Joseph
Campbell
You do not have to be wealthy or have a large house to create a space that
constantly reminds you of your own deepest values and hopes and
inspires you to realize them. For example, the house I live in now has
been furnished on a shoestring. My night stands come from a hospital in
Wyoming and were given to me by a great friend who delivered babies
there. The coffee table in my living room is an old wooden, hand-whittled
chicken coop that is 75 years old. The most expensive feature in my
whole home is an Indian poster I received as a gift. Everything else I own
was either picked up while traveling, discovered in thrift stores or garage
sales—even back alleys on garbage collection days—and from wonderful

easonably priced stores like Pier One. I mention this to make it clear that
what you need to create a sacred space is NOT money, but what each of
us already has: creativity, intuitive guidance, imagination and inspiration.
1.1 The importance of home
No matter what place you call home, the very word strikes a
chord deep inside each of us. Home means sanctuary, the place we
can rest, relax, enjoy time with friends, learn, grow … and just be.
Our homes say a lot about who we are and what we think is
important in life.
Figure 1
Home is where the heart is but it goes deeper than that. Our
connections to home are basic threads in our lives that pop up
automatically in casual conversation. We use the word home to
identify where we‘re from (hometown), cheer on players who
represent us in sports (home teams), describe a level of comfort (at
home), relate to our national identity (homeland), and at the end of
a vacation, name it as our favorite next destination (―There‘s no
place like home.‖).

When we purchase a home, we look for it to provide
comfort, to be a place where we can feel safe and invest our hopes,
dreams and wishes as a foundation for our future. Most of us have
pretty similar goals and intentions in life, no matter what size,
shape, color or type of home we choose in a given geographic
location. We all want to start a life with a significant other, perhaps
have a family, grow through life‘s stages and eventually retire.
That‘s the American dream. As our lives progress, the daily
demands of family, friends, school, careers and all the unforeseen
events we deal with over time all contribute to the stress in the
overall atmosphere in the places we call home.
Think for a moment of your home. If you were to describe it
in a word or two, what would it be? Peaceful and calm? Orderly?
Disorganized and chaotic? Messy? Open and welcoming? How
would you compare the way you describe your home to the life you
lead? Our environments are often the exterior reflections of our
interior worlds.
1.2 Trusting our senses: our guides to what we can’t see
Think back to the last time you went apartment or house
hunting. (Note how we refer to it as a ―house‖ at first. We don‘t
transition to calling it ―home‖ until we begin to think of it as ours.)
How did you know whether you liked a space when you first
walked through the door? Did you smile? Sigh? Check to see
where the closest exit is? What was your first tipoff that the space
was a hit or a miss?
Chances are your body told you pretty fast what your
reaction was. We all have a set of intuitive monitors that help us
know quickly whether we want to stay in a place or not. They‘re
called our senses. They are an inborn part of our wiring and with
just a little imagination, we can call them forth and use them in
some pretty creative ways.

Figure 2
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in business
and operations management, her creative passion, her education in
marketing and design and her background in both psychology and
the mystical arts, Jill took her diverse toolkit into the fast-moving
world of spiritual self-help publishing, where she has worked with
such authors as Caroline Myss, Marianne Williamson, Andrew
Harvey, Mathew Fox and Mona Lisa Schulz. During that time she
delved deeply into spiritual studies and practices, traveling
extensively to Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. (Jill
Angelo, 2016)
1.3 Home/Property Management
When it comes to getting the most from your investment
property, having the right property manager in Australia makes all
the difference. A good property manager will take care of
everything, from placing tenants to handling major and minor
disputes of all kinds. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the
benefits as the rental income comes rolling in.
Ironfish is now pleased to offer property management
services throughout several major Australian cities. It‘s all part of

the plan to ensure that our valued investors are getting the absolute
most for their money.
1.4 Taking the First Steps
If you‘ve purchased your first investment property, then the
first thing you need is to get it cleared by the local government as
an official rental unit. This means lodging the bond and arranging
for any necessary inspections. Our Ironfish Australia property
management team is already familiar with the expectations and the
requirements for rental units in their own home towns. They can
help you clear your way through all the hurdles ahead, including
lodging the bond and passing any required inspections.
Figure 3
While this is going on, the local property manager will
actually visit the unit in question to get a feel for it. They may
prepare a condition report to let you know about any issues or
concerns they may have that need to be addressed before the unit
can be rented out. Once the paperwork is done and the property
ready for occupancy, your property manager will take the lead on
finding and screening prospective tenants through local channels.
They‘ll be responsible for collecting rents and responding to
complaints or making repairs.

If any ongoing maintenance is required, such as gardening or
duct cleaning, your Australia property management team will hire
the workers and oversee the job. And in the highly unlikely
circumstance that a dispute ever escalates into a lawsuit, your
property manager can represent your interests as the property
owner on your behalf in court.
1.5 Your Continued Success
If you choose to work with Ironfish for your Australia
property needs, then you‘re choosing a real estate management that
specialises in the unique demands of Ironfish customers. We have
experience in working with homes and apartments, and with
property owners who may only have one or two units within our
particular area.
Figure 4
We understand that your portfolio isn‘t concentrated in one
city but spread out across the entire continent, and that this may
very well be your first real estate investment. You‘ll find our whole
team to be supportive and eager to help you understand what is
required of you and what it means for your bottom line.

Ironfish wants to be a part of your success story. We believe
in our strategy and in the long lasting effects of doing things the
right way so that you get the most from your investment. To learn
more about what Ironfish can do for you, visit us at one of our free
seminars or call to make your appointment. (ironfish, 2015)
1.6 While Buying Home
When buying a home, most people probably first think of the
financial responsibility. Don‘t let yourself forget, however, about
the time and labor that home ownership also requires. Just like
regular oil changes for your car keep your engine happy and
healthy, keeping up with regular home maintenance tasks will keep
you from future headaches and wasted money.
Figure 5
It can be intimidating to think about these various tasks,
especially if you‘re a new homeowner. It‘s a long list — there‘s no
denying that. The good news is that you can do the majority of it
on your own without much experience. Google is your best friend,
and if you really get stuck, call up your local handyman to help you
out.

In order to maximize your efficiency and actually get all of
these tasks done, you might want to create a home maintenance
calendar for yourself. Whether online or on paper, you can jot
down small, regular tasks for each weekend and not be too
overwhelmed. We‘ve listed tasks that need to be done monthly,
quarterly, and biannually. We‘ve also given you a list of tasks to be
completed seasonally. Not every expert agrees as to which task
needs to be done in which season, so this isn‘t a black and white
list, necessarily. Do what works for you and your schedule, and as
long as all these things get accomplished, your home will be happy
for years and years to come.(Jeremy Anderberg, 2013)
2.0 Increasing incidence of malignant mesothelioma during home
renovation
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) of the pleura or peritoneum is a
universally fatal disease predominantly caused by exposure to asbestos.
In Australia, the incidence of MM has increased steadily since the early
1960s, initially affecting workers mining and milling raw asbestos and
manufacturing asbestos products (the first wave), and then workers who
used asbestos products in industry (the second wave). Over the past 20
years, there has been increasing concern about a third wave people
diagnosed with MM after short-term and/or lowlevel exposure to asbestos
in the home or workplace.
Figure 6

Home maintenance and renovation involving asbestos-containing
building products is one of the activities most frequently associated with
this third wave. It is a source of ongoing concern, given the widespread
distribution of asbestos-containing products in homes and other buildings
in Australian cities and towns. Two forms of asbestos serpentine
(chrysotile or white asbestos) and amphibole (crocidolite or blue asbestos,
and amosite or brown asbestos) have been mined in and imported into
Australia. Chrysotile was the main form of asbestos mined in Australia
until crocidolite was mined at Wittenoom in the north of Western
Australia, beginning in 1943 and continuing until 1966. More than 60%
of the crocidolite produced was used in the manufacturing of asbestos
cement products. For many years, Australia also imported both raw
asbestos and manufactured asbestos goods. By 1954, Australia was
ranked fourth among Western countries (after the United States, the
United Kingdom and France) for gross consumption of asbestos cement
products. However, on a per capita basis, Australia was top of the list.2
After World War II, asbestos cement products were commonly used as a
building material in Australia.
Figure 7
Asbestos cement products used in building include fibro sheeting; water,
drainage and flue pipes; roofing shingles and guttering. Until the 1960s,
25% of all new homes were clad in asbestos cement. The use of asbestos

was slowly phased out in the 1970s and 1980s, but it is still found in
structures built in the late 1980s. A total ban on the use of any type of
asbestos was not introduced in Australia until 2003. Direct occupational
exposure to raw asbestos or asbestos products remains the predominant
cause of MM, and the number of cases is not expected to peak until
2020.3 However, with the ban on mining and asbestos use, the number of
occupational cases will decrease over the next 20–30 years.3 On the other
hand, MM cases as a result of non-occupational exposure to asbestos are
increasing, and there is little understanding of when, and at what level,
this third wave will peak. We describe here the changing trend in
incidence of MM in WA, and the increasing numbers and relative
proportions of people with MM whose exposure is unrelated to their
occupation, especially those exposed to asbestos during home
maintenance and renovation.(Nola J Olsen,Peter J Franklin, 2011)
3.0 Home maintenance and Education
Variations in the home environments of poor and middle-income children
affect their literacy development, which leads to substantial differences in
reading ability and behavior. Schools can mediate influences from home
through the conditions that they foster and the instructional policies and
procedures they promote. The result of schools' efforts may either
ameliorate or magnify the inequities in reading development related to
family economic conditions.
Figure 8

This study tests these contentions in middle-grade schools by using a
nationally representative sample of poor and middle-class eighth graders
from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88).
Home and school effects on our measure of literacy development--a
standardized test of reading comprehension--are explored with multilevel
methods (hierarchical linear modeling). While homes exert an important
influence on this outcome, findings focusing on schools and classrooms
are emphasized. The study also highlights school conditions and policies
that foster social equity in the literacy development of young adolescents.
Implications of current school reform efforts are discussed.(Lee &
Croninger, 1994)
4.0 Impact of home maintenance and modification services on health
4.1 Defining the Conceptualising HMM Into
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a conceptualisation of
HMM services andprograms that both includes and transcends
particular policy and service fields. A characteristic of HMM
services in many countries, including Australia, is that they are
located at the intersection of the health, community care and
housing policy fields. In the USA, they have been described as a
‗complex patchwork‘ where various types of services have been
developed and delivered through different service systems, each
with their own particular goals, approaches and interventions
(Pynoos, 2001). In order to develop a comprehensive
understanding of HMM policy and service systems, it is
therefore necessary to begin by examining the ways that HMM
have been conceptualised in the policy and professional literatures
in each of the health, community care and housing contexts. While
these are overlapping contexts with a number of commonalities,
each provides a distinctive perspective on HMM in terms of
the goals and intervention repertoires of HMM, and links to wider
policy issues. In this chapter, each of these three approaches to
HMM is analysed, drawing primarily on the international policy
and professional literature. In the final section of the chapter, a
conceptualisation of HMM is proposed that integrates the main
themes from the health, community care and housing literature. It

is argued that this ‗joined-up‘ definition provides a foundation for
an inclusive approach to the analysis and development of HMM
services in the Australian context that recognises the contribution
of HMM services and programs to health, community care and
housing objectives.
4.2 Health Perspective
The terms ‗home modifications‘ and ‗home adaptations‘ have been
used widely in health care contexts to refer to ‗any permanent
alteration to a building carried out with the intention of making the
building more suitable for a disabled person‘ (Heywood, 2004a,
p.134). Somewhat more broadly, these services have been defined
as ‗changes made in a home environment in order to accommodate
a particular set of human abilities‘ (Bridge, 2005). From this
perspective, home modifications are viewed as corrective for
problems specific to an individual, within a broadly medical
approach (Wylde, 1998).
Figure 9
Services are provided as part of discharge planning following
hospitalisation (Auriemma et al., 1999) or within community
health or health-funded inhome services.
In the context of health care systems, home modifications are
generally recommended by professionals to ensure that a person
with a particular impairment or health condition is safe and

independent in their home (Auriemma et al., 1999), and to reduce
the likelihood of admission to a hospital or care facility (Auriemma
et al., 1999; Gitlin, Miller, and Boyce, 1999). The health condition
is generally seen as having a predictable pathology, which allows
care to be routinely managed and provided.
Often recommendations are made with reference to a specific
health problem and less consideration is given to other difficulties
or impairments the person may have (Tinker et al., 2004). Home
modifications may be part of a suite of interventions, including
medication and remedial exercise, which focus on remediation or
correction of the health condition. However, home modifications,
along with assistive devices and other interventions, are also used
where function is permanently impaired. With the focus being on
the health condition of the person and the resulting consequences,
interventions that remediate the condition or address the resulting
dysfunction directly are prioritised.(Jones, De Jonge, & Phillips,
2008)
5.0 Monthly home maintenance Check List
5.1 Inspect, and possibly change out HVAC filters
Many experts will say to change the filters monthly, but that‘s not
always necessary. For smaller families without pets or allergies,
you‘ll likely be okay changing the filters every 2-3 months. If the
filter is dirty, change it out, otherwise inspect it again next month.
I‘ve also been told by handymen to go with cheaper filters and
replace them more often versus going with the expensive filters.
(You can also get it out of your mind by using a delivery service
like Cleaner Filters.)
5.2 Clean kitchen sink disposal
There are a bunch of ways to do this, but the handiest and best allaround
solution seems to be vinegar ice cubes. Put some vinegar in
an ice tray and let it freeze, then run the ice cubes through the

disposal. It freshens it, but as a bonus, ice sharpens the blades.
You‘re welcome.
5.3 Clean range hood filters
If you‘ve never thought of doing this, you‘re in for a real ―treat‖
when you get that filter off the hood to clean it for the first time.
The Family Handyman suggests simply using a degreaser from an
auto parts store mixed with hot water. Let the filter sit for a few
minutes, rinse it off, and you‘re good to go.
5.4 Inspect your fire extinguisher(s)
We‘ll assume you have and know how to use an extinguisher. This
inspection doesn‘t require much: ensure it has easy access (not
being blocked by a garbage can or anything else), that the gauge
shows adequate pressure, and that it has no visible signs of wear
and tear.(Seixas, 1994)
6.0 Quarterly
6.1 Test smoke/carbon dioxide detectors. Another simple task; your
detectors should have a ―test‖ button. If the alarm sounds, you‘re
good to go. If not, replace batteries immediately and test again. If it
still doesn‘t sound, it‘s possible there‘s simply corrosion on the
battery terminal, and it won‘t detect new batteries. Clean it and try
again. If it still doesn‘t work, you‘ll likely need a new detector.
6.2 Test garage door auto-reverse feature. In 1993, federal law
required all garage doors to have this feature after multiple child
deaths. Test every month by placing a 2×4 on the ground where the
door would close. It should reverse after a second or so when the
door hits the wood. Also test the photo-electric sensors if you have
them by placing something in front of them (not your body). If the
door doesn‘t immediately go back up, you have a problem.
6.3 Run water and flush toilets in unused spaces. This mostly
applies to guest bathrooms, or any other sinks/water sources you
don‘t use on a regular basis. The idea is to prevent grime or any
other kind of build up. Regularly running a little bit of water
through will prevent this.
6.4 Check water softener, add salt if needed. You shouldn‘t need to
add salt every month, but better to check anyway, as it only takes
about 5 seconds.(Hurtado, 1994)

7.0 Biannually
7.1 Test your water heater’s pressure relief valve. This will prevent
mineral and corrosion buildup, which safeguards against leaks. It
will also help your heater run more efficiently.
7.2 Give your house a deep clean. Take one Saturday every six
months with your whole family, and give the whole house a proper
deep clean. Appliances, windows, dusting every nook and cranny
(including the basement), etc. Keeping things clean and not letting
dirt/grime/dust build up over years and years will help keep your
home in tip-top shape.
7.3 Replace batteries in smoke/carbon dioxide detectors. I‘d never
heard this before, actually. I just assumed you changed it out when
it started giving you the low battery beeping noise. This tip was in
everything we researched, however. With something as important
as this, you can‘t be too careful, and batteries won‘t break your
bank. Change ‗em out every six months.
7.4 Vacuum your refrigerator coils. I actually learned this tip from a
refrigerator repairman, and our research confirmed it. The fridge
can use up to 15 percent of your home‘s total power, so you want it
running as efficiently as possible. Over time, the coils get dirty and
your fridge requires more juice. You can save up to $100 a year by
doing this, and it‘s not at all a difficult task.(Coburn, 2016)
8.0 Conclusion
As delivery of health care in the home becomes more common, more
coherent strategies and effective policies are needed to support the
workforce of individuals who provide this care. Developing these will
require a comprehensive understanding of the number and attributes of
individuals engaged in health care in the home as well as the context in
which care is delivered. Data and data analysis are lacking to accomplish
this objective.

National data regarding the numbers of individuals engaged in health care
delivery in the home—that is, both formal and informal caregivers—are
sparse, and the estimates that do exist vary widely. Although the Bureau
of Labor Statistics publishes estimates of the number of workers
employed in the home setting for some health care classifications, they do
not include all relevant health care workers.
Figure 10
For example, data on workers employed directly by care recipients and
their families are notably absent. Likewise, national estimates of the
number of informal caregivers are obtained from surveys that use
different methodological approaches and return significantly different
results.(Bondcleaninginperth, 2016)
Although numerous national surveys have been designed to answer a
broad range of questions regarding health care delivery in the home, with
rare exceptions such surveys reflect the relatively limited perspective of
the sponsoring agency. For example,
The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (administered by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and the Health and Retirement
Survey (administered by the National Institute on Aging) are primarily
geared toward understanding the health, health services use, and/or
economic well-being of older adults and provide no information
regarding working-age adults or children or information about home or
neighborhood environments.

The Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey (administered by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC), the National Health
Interview Survey (administered by the CDC), and the National Children‘s
Study (administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) all collect
information on health characteristics, with limited or no information
about the housing context.
The American Housing Survey (administered by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development) collects detailed information regarding
housing, but it does not include questions regarding the health status of
residents and does not collect adequate information about home
modifications and features on an ongoing basis.(Health Care Comes
Home, 2011)

9.0 References
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Agency Debate Can Illuminate Policy Implementation. American Journal
of Education, 122(3), 465–475. https://doi.org/10.1086/685847
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Concept among Minority Graduate Students in the 1970s. American
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Handy Tool to Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape | The Art of Manliness.
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Jill Angelo. (2016). The Importance of Home - Spirituality & Health.
Retrieved May 26, 2018, from
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