Houses and Their Moving Parts

Houses have moving parts. These parts need to have maintenance done on them in order for the items to have as long a life as possible. This article will tell you about some of the items that fit under this category.

Doors move and the screws that hold on the hinges should be tightened or replaced with longer screws if they get loose. Hinges should never need to be oiled as the only reason they would be a problem is if they get out of line with the door or with each other. Door knobs and locks sometimes get sticky when spray oil has been used on them. This is due to the fact that the oil is a liquid that attracts dirt and therefore gets thick and sticky. When this occurs the oil must first be cleaned out and then a dry graphite can be put in to make the knob or lock work smoothly. Sliding doors need to have screws tightened and wheels aligned from time to time as they usually get a lot of use. Rollers on the bottom must be kept clean by maintaining a clean track for them to run in. If they get dirty, the dirt gets into the ball bearings and wears them out faster. When they start to wear out spray oil helps for a short time but the thing that must be done is to replace the rollers.

Windows need pretty much the same things as doors.

Cabinets need the hinges done and the same thing you do to locks and knobs needs to be done to the latches. Drawer glides and rollers should be kept clean and adjusted if they are not opening properly.

Vents that direct air around the room have adjusters on them that should be oiled with a light spray oil only if they are getting hard to move. Exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms should also be kept clean but do not oil them as the motors are usually a sealed system that cannot be oiled.

Air conditioning and heating units need to be maintained and should be looked at by an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) person each year before starting them up.

Got Questions? Call me at (818) 548-8760 - Randy