1. Check out your waterworks. Use the sporadic downpours to see if your gutters are properly functioning. Are the gutters functioning like the should be or are they clogged with leaves and debris? When the water leaves the downspouts, is it moving away from the house? You want to ensure that the water is moving away from your home, and not saturating your foundation.
2. Do a walk-through of alarms. Take the time to check the functionality of your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. Check to see each one is working and change the batteries. Important tasks like these are important and very easy to forget.
3. Go looking for leaks. With mother nature’s help, a rainy day is a great time to make sure there are no leaks in your house. Go up to the attic and look for any potential leaks. If you find one, trace the droplet up to the source to see the point of origination.
4. Maintain your refrigerator. Make sure the seals on your refrigerator are airtight. You can test this by closing a dollar bill in the door. If you are able to easily pull it out, the latch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced. Also, take the time to vacuum out the back of your refrigerator if it has coils on the back. It should be done twice a year and will make your refrigerator run more efficiently.
5. Organize your warranties and take inventory of your belongings. Organize all appliance warranties and take note of any maintenance that needs to be done. [The maintenance can me done on the next day you're stuck inside due to mother nature!] By doing the required maintenance, you will keep the appliances in better working order, giving them a longer lifetime. Also, use this time to take inventory of you belongings. Consider using an inventory program. If for any reason you have to file a claim with your homeowner’s insurance, it will make the process easier.

Whether you are prepping to sell your West Knoxville home or if you just want to do some routine maintenance on your home, a rainy day in Knoxville is the perfect time to do it. What maintenance will you be doing on the next rainy day?

Not all home improvements are created equal. Especially if you’re looking for “resale value” back from your work.

An article from the Wall Street Journal lays it out cleanly. Function beats flash these days so be wary of where you spend.

Environmental upgrades such as home insulation and energy-efficient steel entry doors are recovering a much greater percentage of their cost these days than major remodels including kitchens or bathrooms.  This is especially true for homes that are already “over-improved” relative to the neighborhood.

Upgrading the biggest and best homes on the block can be a losing proposition.

The article’s findings include data from groups such as the National Association of Home Builders, Remodeling Magazine, and Consumer Reports.  It lists the following home improvements among its top “paybacks”:

• Steel entry door replacement : 129% cost recovery
• Wood deck addition : 81% cost recovery
• Vinyl-replacement window : 77% cost recovery

Energy-efficiency projects also recoup costs monthly in the form of lower heating and cooling bills.

Remodeling Magazine says a larger number of homeowners will remodel their homes in 2010 with less emphasis on upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, and more emphasis on adding new rooms.  From an appraisal perspective, this is a terrific way to increase your home’s value — especially if your home’s bed/bath count lags your neighbors.

Before starting a home improvement project, regardless of whether your goal is increase resale value, talk with a real estate agent about other homes in the area and how they’re built. At worst, you’ll gather some ideas you can work into your plan. At best, you’ll keep yourself from over-improving.

Over time, the grout in a shower can become dirty and discolored, and start to separate from its grout lines. This is a potentially dangerous condition for a home because broken grout lines allow water to seep into the walls, which can then lead to the growth of mold spores.

Fortunately, keeping your grout in tip-top shape is simple.

In this 2-minute video, you’ll learn how to clean the existing grout in your shower and to prepare for a new coating. You’ll also learn how to replace its caulk.

The video’s tips include:

• Why you should remove excess grout diagonally with a sponge
• How to protect your tub from damage while the re-grout is in process
• Choosing the right caulk for the job

The North American Tile Cleaning Association also offers helpful grout-cleaning advice. Visit their website at http://www.tilecleaning.org.

After moving into a new home in Knoxville , you should immediately replace its deadbolt locks.  It’s not just the home’s former residents that have the key, after all, but so might a relative, a friend, a neighbor, a dog-walker, and others.

You may call a locksmith for the job, but you can save some money if you can do-it-yourself.

In this detailed, 2-minute video, you’ll learn how to remove and replace a deadbolt lock using nothing but a Phillips screwdriver and a deadbolt from a hardware store.  It’s a simple project that requires little mechanical skill.

And one that can make your new home more safe.