From Mark Bennett of Bennett FIXIT

Roof, gutters, and driveways are your most important yearly care items which if cared for will last along time.

• Seal all cracks in driveways, seal entire driveway with a clear acrylic sealer.  Make sure gutters are free of fall leaves and debris at all times of year.

Keep all bushes, trees, vines away from the house, they are insect highways, and trees can cause damage to roofs and sidings.

*No large tree should be within 15’ of the house foundation. Have all trees thinned at least every 3-5 years.

Sealing your HVAC system will keep dirt out of your house, and will help with overall circulation, and will cut costs. Make sure you have a thermostat that can be programmed. Air Filters should be the pleated type.

*Use only metal tape for duct seals.  Close vent in unused rooms.  Even a closed vent lets 40% of the air flow.

Every spring, ring your house with insect powder to drive insects away. Airate the lawn and apply any insecticides at the first sight of green.

*Bugs start to grow in the spring, and any kill off will help for the rest of the year.

Make sure doors and window seals are in good condition, or repaired, they are one of the largest sources of heat and cooling loss.

*Many seals can be replaced, and even some sliding window seals can be replaced.

 Make sure you have current appliances because they are much more effective than units that are just 8 years old.

*An appliance older than 8 years if often not worth fixing.

Use power strips to protect and turn off energy suckers.  Your TV, VCRs, phone transformers, and computers can all be turned off, and you can save as much as $ 100 a year, and protect them from lightning strikes, power spikes and surges. Use light dimmers on clusters of lights to save money.

• Leave cable boxes on.  They have information and data that needs to stay on, and if they get fried, they will be replaced for free.

Be sure that all water and snow run off is away from your foundation. Be sure your sprinklers are watering only the grass and flowers, and not your driveway, walkways, or foundation. Repairs to the foundation are always very costly, and can affect your entire house.

*You should walk the inside rooms of your house looking for cracks in the walls.  If you see any, it can be a sign of foundation shift.  Also walk the exterior of the house in the spring after the last snow.  If you feel spongy areas near the foundation, you must find a way to drain away the water, because it will attack the foundations.

Incandescent light bulbs are being eliminated!  A law signed in 2007 will stop sales in 2012!  Few good solutions exist at this time, and most are very costly.  CFL lights contain mercury, are poor quality, and LED lights are very costly.

* Web sites for CFL and new products are: www.hatrack.com and www.foxnews/junk science. These sites give honest comments on what to do.  Most people say stock up on light bulbs now.

Timers to control lights during the night or when you are away can help secure your home, and save you money because even small lights give off lots of light.  Use only digital times, gear timers use more power than a small light, and are on all day and night. Also great for security when away from home.

Security:  When away from your house, close drapes or blinds, and leave a radio on.  Also leaving garage doors open is still the #1 reason for crime in Douglas and Arapahoe County!!Do not advertise what you have in your house with items of value left in the garage!

Mark Bennett, Bennett Fix It

303-547-4757

bennettfixit1@comcast.net