Category

Home Maintenance Tips

Jun 21
0

When Water Collects Near Your Foundation

By | Home Maintenance Tips | One Comment

While we typically have to be concerned about high temps, drought, and water shortages this time of year, we have been gifted a refreshingly mild and wet early start to summer so far. We know the heat is coming, and drier forecasts along with it, but for now we have had a lot of homeowners report water pooling in their yards and near their foundations.

As we’ve talked about many times before, water is a home’s biggest threat. Here are a few ways this damage can occur:

  • Water damage can impact your home’s interior and exterior, both with great impact and cost. Interior damage typically comes from a pike leak or burst, flooding the home from the inside out. Exterior damage happens when the landscape doesn’t properly flow away from the structure, or is otherwise trapped close to the foundation from obstacles like clogged gutters.
  • The wetting and drying process puts stress on your home’s foundation as the soil around the home expands and contracts. Be aware of this, especially as we transition into the hottest months of the year.
  • When one side of the foundation is wet but the other is dry, this difference can apply strain and cause the foundation to shift.
  • Water can seep into the foundation through cracks, encouraging the growth of insects and mold.

While the stakes are high, most water damage to the foundation is preventable when a home is properly maintained. Here are a few tips to keep your home dry and keep water at bay:

  • Make sure your gutters are cleaned and properly positioned
  • Ensure landscaping slopes away from your home
  • When necessary a French drain, a simple trench, can be installed to redirect water away from the foundation and most problematic areas of the yard

While rain is indeed a good thing, we don’t want water to pool up around your foundation. This is one of the many items we check for during the home inspection process. If you notice problems with your foundation, visit our Preferred Vendors page for a list of Central Texas professionals who can help ensure your home is ready for summer, no matter the weather!

May 01
0

If It Moves, It Needs Maintenance

By | Home Maintenance Tips | One Comment

For homeowners, the home inspection process raise a lot of questions: What condition is the home in? What does that mean? How much will that cost?

While each home is unique, we apply a standard, thorough approach to ensure each home inspection is conducted as meticulously as possible to give home owners peace of mind for one of the largest purchase decisions they will make in a lifetime. However, the work to keep a home running does not stop when the inspection is complete. I always like to say, “If it moves, it needs maintenance,” and that applies to nearly everything in a home from the ground up, to the roof down.

In order to help your home look, feel, and operate at its peak potential, here’s my recommended home maintenance schedule. Not only do I encourage homebuyers and owners to utilize this, but I apply this schedule to my own home. While complications will arise here and there, this checklist can help you stay on top of the TLC your home needs regularly to save time, money, and heartache down the line.

Quarterly Home Maintenance Checklist

  • Check HVAC Air filters and change, if necessary.
  • Service the HVAC the condensate drain system.
  • Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Have the home inspected and treated for pests.
  • Check the batteries in all flashlights and lamps, in case you need them in an emergency.
  • Clean the dryer lint screens.** This task should be performed regularly, even weekly.
  • Check for dripping faucets and leaking toilet flappers.
  • Check vent hood filters.

Semi-Annual Home Maintenance Checklist

  • Have the HVAC system serviced, ideally early in the spring and in the fall.
  • Check gutters and the drainage around the home, especially after large spring storms.
  • Inspect and maintain all lawn maintenance equipment for the spring and summer months.

Annual Home Maintenance Checklist

  • Have the water heater(s) serviced annually. You don’t want to caught without hot water!
  • Inspect the roof (safely if you can do this yourself, or hire a pro!) annually or after a storm.
  • Test GFCI devices and AFCI devices.
  • Clean the refrigerator coils.
  • Check and replace all water filtration devices as needed per manufacturer.
  • Check door and window seals annually.
  • Test and adjust the garage door opener and reverse sensors annually.
  • Inspect and repair as needed the exterior walls for repairs.
  • Inspect and clean as needed the kitchen appliances.

While not exhaustive, this schedule should get you into a steady routine of offering your home the love and maintenance it needs to function at its best. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more home maintenance and inspection tips!

Jan 28
0

Under the Roof with Randy Barfield: Keeping Your Casa Cozy This Winter

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Podcast, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

The ebb and flow of winter has officially arrived in Central Texas! With the scars from last year’s disastrous winter storm still fresh for many Texans, what’s needed to ensure you and your home are ready in case arctic chill rears its head again? Join us as Ashley and Randy discuss measures you can take to protect your home, family, pets and plants, whether a freeze is just overnight or lasts for days.

Listen now on the website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to listen!

Jan 25
0

Keep Your Home Cozy This Winter

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, what can you do to keep the cold at bay? Most of the time we are more focused on keeping the heat out in Central Texas, but a seasonable cold snap and sudden frigid temps incline us to think of ways to keep our homes and families (including furry friends!) safe and warm this winter.

As you take stock of your home, here are a few tips and tricks courtesy of the Barfield Home Inspection team:

  1. Check for drafts. If your exterior doors feel a little drafty at the bottom, place a rolled-up towel at the threshold for a quick fix. It may be time for new weather stripping, which you can install as a quick and easy DIY weekend project! Inspect weather stripping around all doors and windows and repair or replace if necessary. Caulk exterior joints around windows and doors, which will help keep your home weather-tight and lower heating bills.
  2. Insulate exposed exterior plumbing pipes and hose bibs. A nice foam cover from the local hardware store will work well to protect your pipes from the cold.
  3. Drip your faucets only when temperatures are going to drop below freezing to avoid waste. Running just a trickle of water will prevent your pipes from freezing.
  4. Open the cabinets under your sinks so the warm air from the house can help keep the pipes warm enough to prevent freezing.

Note: If you live in an older pier and beam home, your pipes should be wrapped. If not, hire a certified contractor to insulate these pipes in the future and use the faucet dripping technique above to protect your home in the meantime.

  1. Reverse ceiling fans so the warm air that rises to the ceiling will be pulled back down to the living area.
  2. Wrap or cover your plants (or bring them inside if possible). A planket is always a nice touch!
  3. Inspect your fireplace before the first use each season. Use a flashlight to check the flue for any obstructions and make sure your damper is open before you start the fire. Call a certified chimney sweep contractor to clean and evaluate your fireplace if you can see excessive soot. Don’t forget to keep your fire screen or fire doors closed while using the fireplace.

As we continue to spend more time at home, it’s great to take care of the spaces we love. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @BarfieldHomeInspection for more home maintenance tips from the company that’s been telling it like it is since 2003. Stay safe, warm, and healthy!

Oct 28
0

Protect Your Home Against Wood-Boring Insects

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Seasonal Home Maintenance, Videos | No Comments

As a licensed home inspector in the state of Texas, Randy knows a thing or two about wood-boring insects. Understand the difference between carpenter ants and termites and learn the signs to look for an emerging colony. Remember: your primary objective is to create an environment that is inconducive to wood-boring insects so they don’t enjoy your home as a midnight buffet!

Get more home maintenance and inspection tips on Facebook and Instagram @barfieldhomeinspection.

Sep 03
0

Under the Roof with Randy Barfield: What’s a Normal Market, Anyway?

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Podcast, Real Estate News, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

Trees in the kitchen. Retro design. Find out what we love most about Austin and our booming real estate market in the latest installment of Under the Roof!

Join Randy, Mary, and Ashley as we discuss the latest stats about the hot market and answer the question on everyone’s mind: has the seemingly unstoppable Austin bubble finally burst? Get your monthly dose of home maintenance tips, real estate insight, and news you can use. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates from Randy and the team at Barfield Home Inspection!

Aug 26
0

Protect Your Home and Family from West Nile Virus

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

Hey friends! We are well into the dog days of summer, which likely means you’re spending a little more time inside to keep cool and hydrated. That may be a good thing, especially if you live in Central Texas, as new cases of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus (WNV) are increasing in our area.

A report released today shows that mosquitoes in Williamson County have tested positive for the virus six times in 2021, and earlier this week Newsweek shared the story of a Houston man who is now paralyzed after contracting the virus from mosquitoes.

With cases on the rise, we want to share a few quick reminders from Texas Health and Human Services about WNV to help protect you and your family:

  • WNV is transmitted by infected mosquitoes
  • 80 percent of the population will not develop illness from mosquitoes carrying WNV. The 20 percent who do experience symptoms typically develop mild fever, headaches, body aches, and a rash.
  • One in 150 people infected with WNV develop more serious symptoms that may affect the brain and spinal cord. Signs of complications include high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.

With confirmed cases of the virus in Central Texas, here’s what you can do to protect your home and family this summer:

  • Remove standing water outside your home. Vessels like bird baths, buckets, trash cans, pet water bowls, flowerpot saucers, and rain barrels make a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay eggs. Empty water once a week, and scrub, turn over, or throw out these containers whenever possible.
  • Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- registered insect repellant, with one of the ingredients below recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
    • DEET
    • Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the US)
    • IR3535
    • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
    • Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
    • 2-undecanone

Finally, take a few preventative measures around your home to help ward off an infestation: Use air conditioning if possible (change those filters, folks!) or use screens in windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside.

Summertime is one of the best times to embrace the Texas outdoors, but it’s best to do it safely. Follow these tips and join the conversation on Instagram and Facebook for more insight from our home inspection team. Stay safe, Central Texas!

Jul 09
0

Prepping for Your Home Inspection

By | Home Buying, Home Maintenance Tips, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

So, you’re preparing to put your home on the market and know with the rapid rate that houses are flying off the listing shelf in Austin and the surrounding area, offers are likely to come in quickly. How can you prepare for a smooth selling process amid all the chaos of multiple showings and bidding wars? While most of those details will come down to you and your real estate agent, check out the tips below to ready your home for a thorough home inspection:

Consider a pre-inspection. While not the final inspection in the buying/selling process, this report can instill confidence in potential buyers from the start. It can also put major concerns (especially problems with your electrical, plumbing, and/or HVAC systems) on your radar. Although we are currently in a highly-competitive sellers’ market and it is likely you won’t have to make many modifications to your home to sell, it can be comforting to know what you may expect during the offer process. Interested in a pre-inspection? Give us a call!

Ready your home. The good news is that while this list may initially seem exhaustive, many of these items will be addressed during the listing and showing process. As you prepare to review and accept the winning offer and the time draws closer to the actual inspection, here are a few items to be aware of around the house:

  1. Provide easy access to important areas such as the attic, water heater, sinks, and basement or crawl space.
  2. Keep a tidy home. While this is probably already taken care of for showing purposes, a clean home can be a good indication of the house’s general condition.
  3. Check for operation and alignment in your toilets, windows, doors, cabinets.
  4. Change any blown bulbs to save time. When a light is out, your inspector will either have to note it (which may cause concern) or search for faulty wiring. Avoid the hassle and make sure your lights are in good working order.
  5. Replace your air filters because (especially in Texas!) the HVAC is a huge component of the inspection. Clean air filters increase the function and longevity of your cooling system and replacing them regularly can help your inspection go smoothly.

At Barfield Home Inspection, we are in the business of helping people. We do not simply check the boxes and leave. It is up to us to prepare buyers (and sellers) with information to make an informed and confident decision and our goal is to help our clients as much as possible.

With a lifetime of experience, our owner and founder Randy Barfield knows houses from the inside out and from the roof down. We deliver thorough home inspection reporting and provide an in-depth explanation of our reports. We go above and beyond to ensure all questions are answered and clients feel confident – we even welcome follow-up questions after buyers read the report!

If you’re ready to work with the home inspection team you can trust, give us a call today at 512-350-0123. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on the Austin real estate market as well as handy home maintenance tips. Happy buying and selling, folks!

Jun 24
0

The Bugs are Back in Town!

By | Home Maintenance Tips, Seasonal Home Maintenance | No Comments

Well folks, it’s officially summer. In Texas, there are a few things that implicitly come along with the season: intense heat, barbecue (with cold drinks on the side, of course), an uptick in the real estate market (if that’s even possible!), and yes: bugs. By far my least favorite component of the summer lineup, the insect ecosystem in Central Texas consists of a colorful cast. The most abundant, and in many ways, the most dangerous, is the mosquito.

Rising temperatures and humidity culminate in a perfect storm to spawn this swarm of blood-sucking beasts. In recent years, mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile and Zika have made headlines with a large impact on the state. In fact, Texas ranks in the top 20 percent of states with human disease originated from mosquito bites, with more than 6,600 cases reported between 2004 -2016. Is it just me, or is that a top-ranking list we don’t really care to be part of?

While most people infected by West Nile Virus will not experience extreme side effects, it can result in paralysis, distortion, and vision loss for older populations. Zika, on the other hand, can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her child and create serious birth defects including microcephaly, a sign of incomplete brain development.

Needless to say, whether you are looking to avoid the nuisance of an itchy bite or reduce the possibility of infection, minimizing the mosquito population is a smart choice. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your home:

According to the Austin Public Health Department, the best way to fight mosquitoes is to remember the Four D’s:

  • Dusk through dawn is the most active time for mosquitoes. If you can avoid being outdoors during this time, you are less likely to have an encounter.
  • Dress in long sleeves and pants when possible. The more covered you are, the better. Mosquito repellant clothing is also available!
  • DEET. If your skin is exposed, be sure to use insect repellent that contains DEET. Read and follow the label instructions accordingly, and check out these myths and facts about DEET from OFF!® if you have questions about the effectiveness or safety of DEET.
  • Drain standing water in bird baths, flower pots, clogged gutters, and wading pools as these become a literal breeding ground from mosquitos. In the case of water source for our furry and feathered friends, refresh your pet’s outdoor water bowl and/or birdbath often to prevent stagnation.

Summertime is one of the best times to embrace the Texas outdoors, but it’s wise to do it safely. Follow these tips and join the conversation on Instagram and Facebook for more insight from our home inspection team. Stay cool, Central Texas!