home owners - please share your must-do-chores

[lmh2402]

so...dh and i are kind of sucking a bit at owning a house

we were much better condo owners. we payed our maintenance like nobody's business

but this whole you-have-to-notice or plan-for-it AND then-take-care-of-it business of a house... has us floundering

he went flying down the back steps today because
1. we were apparently out of salt and the steps were icy
2. they were overly icy b/c we apparently have water leaking from a gutter above and it drips on the step and then freezes
3. the steps also apparently need to be replaced...they seem to be rotting a bit

SO... i guess we should have noticed that bit about the rot, done something about our gutters...and bought more salt

lessons learned

but i would like to create a list moving forward of the things you have to do / watch for in a house (particularly an old one)

i'm sure there is stuff people do on a weekly, monthly, seasonal, yearly basis... so what? and when? (indoor and out, please)

for example, getting gutters cleaned? what is the right season to do that? how often?

here's another question, were we supposed to not let the hose freeze in the big loop hung around a post of the fence like that? i have a feeling we weren't supposed to do that. i asked dh and he said, "why? i think it will be fine..." but i am thinking maybe it's bad for the hose? maybe we should have detached it and put in the garage once it was winter and we weren't hosing things anymore.

anyway, thanks for any/all tips

[Pinky]

Glad you started this thread because we need help too. It's a little overwhelming.

About the hose... I do know that you are never supposed to leave them attached to the faucet in freezing temps. (but ask me if mine is! LOL)

[mommylamb]

here's another question, were we supposed to not let the hose freeze in the big loop hung around a post of the fence like that? i have a feeling we weren't supposed to do that. i asked dh and he said, "why? i think it will be fine..." but i am thinking maybe it's bad for the hose? maybe we should have detached it and put in the garage once it was winter and we weren't hosing things anymore.


You should be able to turn off the water to those outside hoses. We do it before it gets cold enough where the water would freeze.

We pay for a service that comes by annually to clean/service the furnace/HVAC system.

We don't do our gutters, but we have no trees high enough to cause a problem.

Change those panels in your heating system from time to time.

There are lots of things that one should do that we haven't, like, have your dryer vents cleaned, clean out your dishwasher for any gunk (I really need to do this), and I'm sure lots of other things. We kind of suck at homeownership too.

[Pinky]

Oh yes, air filters are a big one! We try to keep on top of that but I think you're supposed to do it super often, like once a month. Suppose it depends on many factors.

You're also supposed to inspect or change the hoses on your washer every so many years I think.

[minnie-zb]

Some of what you are talking about depends on where you live and the kind of weather you have.

Are you friends with any of your neighbors? If yes, I would be honest with them and ask them to help you learn about taking care of your house and property. I say this, because I know everyone is a first-time homeowner at some point and people can really relate. Asking neighbors can also help you build your network and sense of community.

[lmh2402]

ok, so air filters would be for the central AC, yes?

i will make a note to call those people and make sure they are coming in the spring to get us ready for the season

so...what happens if the hose is not detached from the outside faucet?

we actually had a plumber here in the fall for something and he asked if we needed our boiler serviced

and dh...god love him... said, "probably. we actually don't know which of those big box things in the basement is the boiler. the boiler is what gives you hot water, right?"

the plumber was horrified. i was horrified. b/c though i am as ignorant as DH, i would pretend to the plumber that i knew something more.

ETA: minnie, we're in the northeast...nj to be state-specific. we haven't really made friends with any of the neighbors b/c...i don't know why. we moved in right when kids went back to school. and people seemed to start staying inside more. who knows...that's a whole 'nother thread. but i will see if i can find someone around here to ask. that's a good idea. thanks ;)

[geochick]

Yard care (lawn and trees, including fertilizer, trimming, weeding, etc.) - monthly

Paint upkeep (inside and out) - yearly

Smoke alarm batteries - 2x/year

Lightbulbs - constant

Furnace filters - monthly

Dryer vents - every few years

Carpet cleaning - every few years

Wood floor polishing - professional every 5-10yrs

Snow removal - winter

Fence maintenance - every few years

A/C and furnace tune-ups - yearly

Earthquake insurance - constant

Other insurance

Window cleaning - yearly

Holiday light hanging - yearly

Plumbing issues - ya never know

Is this they type of stuff you're looking for?

[lmh2402]

geo, yes!

what a furnace filter? we haven't done anything about anything related to the furnace since moving in in sept

so we are behind

do i call a plumber? can we do it ourselves?

[cvanbrunt]

If don't already, be sure to get a subscription to Angie's List.

[indigo99]

Oh yes, air filters are a big one! We try to keep on top of that but I think you're supposed to do it super often, like once a month. .

We do ours every 3 months. DH writes the date on the filter when he puts it in so that we know how old it is by looking at it. If you use some sort of calendar online then you can put a reminder on there to pop up and tell you when it needs changed. We also have the heat/air checked and serviced once a year.

We can't turn off the water to our outside faucets, but we do take off the hoses and attach one of those insulated covers in the winter (found at Target, Walmart, Home Depot etc).

The gutters will vary depending on whether you have leaves falling in them. We had to clean them at our old house several times each fall as they filled up with leaves. They're usually OK the rest of the year.

Depending on where you live, you might want to have someone come out and check for termites in your basement/crawl space once a year or so. If someone finds evidence of them though, do NOT trust them. Always get 3 or 4 opinions as those guys are so dishonest (I was told by 3 places that I had termites when I didn't). Better yet, if your house isn't already protected then have termidor applied. It forms a protective barrier around the foundation. The little trap things out in the yard are pretty useless and expensive as they only tell you if there may be termites nearby and there are always termites nearby. That doesn't mean that they're bothering your house. You could also have them in the house and not have them messing with the little monitors in the yard.

DH checks the attic for signs of leaks once in a while after or during a good rain.

Mainly, you just take care of things as they crop up though. There's always SOMETHING needing fixed. We stained our back deck last year to help protect it. This year we need to replace the banisters on the front porch since they're showing some water damage.

[boolady]

geo, yes!

what a furnace filter? we haven't done anything about anything related to the furnace since moving in in sept

so we are behind

do i call a plumber? can we do it ourselves?

What type of heat do you have. I know the house is old...do you have radiator heat? If so, you don't have a furnace filter, probably, but it sounds like you have central air, so do you have forced hot air that runs on the same HVAC system as your air conditioning? If so, don't hire a plumber. There should be a panel on the furnace/blower unit for the a.c. that comes off and you will see a flat filter that filters dust and stuff out before the blower blows the air around your house via the vents. We always use a certain kind from 3M...you just buy them at Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure you write down the size/type you need, because when you get there, there will be lots of different ones.

You want to change them fairly frequently...we change ours 4 times per year. I know some people change theirs once a month or once every two months. Eh, we don't. Also, I'm sure people may disagree, but we had been using a heavier hypoallergenic kind, and when we needed our blower replaced, our HVAC guy, who I trust, told us not to use those because they make the blower work harder...just use standard ones and change them more often.

[kijip]

There is a website called manage my life that has great tips on seasonal chores for homeowners. I get their emails and we see if we need to do that chore in our house, very helpful for us as non handy first time homeowners. It is free. We also got a book for diy home maintenance for newbies, trying to remember the name if it, my husband enjoyed it a lot and it seems to have helped. If I think of the name I will post it.

[lmh2402]

What type of heat do you have. I know the house is old...do you have radiator heat? If so, you don't have a furnace filter, probably, but it sounds like you have central air, so do you have forced hot air that runs on the same HVAC system as your air conditioning? If so, don't hire a plumber. There should be a panel on the furnace/blower unit for the a.c. that comes off and you will see a flat filter that filters dust and stuff out before the blower blows the air around your house via the vents. We always use a certain kind from 3M...you just buy them at Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure you write down the size/type you need, because when you get there, there will be lots of different ones.

You want to change them fairly frequently...we change ours 4 times per year. I know some people change theirs once a month or once every two months. Eh, we don't. Also, I'm sure people may disagree, but we had been using a heavier hypoallergenic kind, and when we needed our blower replaced, our HVAC guy, who I trust, told us not to use those because they make the blower work harder...just use standard ones and change them more often.

oh my gosh...you just asked a bunch of question that i don't really know the answer to

the heat i do know is steam. we have radiators

and then we installed high velocity AC before we moved in

so we have vent/duct things in all the rooms..but they are like little holes in the ceiling or floor (on the first floor they are in the floor coming up from the basement)

[lmh2402]

There is a website called manage my life that has great tips on seasonal chores for homeowners. I get their emails and we see if we need to do that chore in our house, very helpful for us as non handy first time homeowners. It is free. We also got a book for diy home maintenance for newbies, trying to remember the name if it, my husband enjoyed it a lot and it seems to have helped. If I think of the name I will post it.

thank you!

[indigo99]

There should be a return for the air somewhere. You can usually just open it up and see the filter. Go buy a new one the same size and stick it in. Our return is on the wall downstairs and on the ceiling upstairs. Our old house had a furnace, and we had to go into the basement to put the filter on the thing.

ETA: The air return will be larger than the vents where air comes out. It basically looks about the same on large scale though.

[YouAreTheFocus]

I just wanted to thank you for posting this thread. We are currently condo owners and one thing that has made me reluctant to transition to an actual house is the increase in responsibility and fear of the unknown :) This is a great source of info (as always!).

[geochick]

what a furnace filter? we haven't done anything about anything related to the furnace since moving in in sept

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Filtrete-6-Pack-Pollen-Filter/dp/B000P75WKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295558308&sr=8-1

You basically open the little cover on your furnace, pull out the old filter/cardboard thing, and place one the same size in it's place. Our furnace guy says to do it every month, and the furnace will stay clean, and will last longer between break downs, and cleanings. The size is listed on the old one, and is usually something like 20x25x1 or 20x20x1...basically the dimensions of the filter.

Once a month for us. You can get them at Walmart, some grocery stores, Costco, ...

[geochick]

And if you have steam heat, you don't have a gas furnace, so don't worry about filters.

[vonfirmath]

Change those panels in your heating system from time to time.


Filters.
Need to be changed monthly (or every three months) depending on what filter you put in

Consequences? Higher energy bills, fires

Dryer filter: turns out the dryer going outside of the house needs to be cleaned once a year where we live or the dryer stops drying!

[boolady]

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Filtrete-6-Pack-Pollen-Filter/dp/B000P75WKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295558308&sr=8-1

You basically open the little cover on your furnace, pull out the old filter/cardboard thing, and place one the same size in it's place. Our furnace guy says to do it every month, and the furnace will stay clean, and will last longer between break downs, and cleanings. The size is listed on the old one, and is usually something like 20x25x1 or 20x20x1...basically the dimensions of the filter.

Once a month for us. You can get them at Walmart, some grocery stores, Costco, ...

This link shows exactly what I was talking about. I think for most people, they are in their furnace or blower. I know (b/c I grew up in a house with radiators) that it obviously wouldn't be in the furnace for you, so it's either got to be in your high velocity HVAC thingy in the basement or wherever the blower is that distributes the air around the house or in a return, as another poster noted.

[boolady]

And if you have steam heat, you don't have a gas furnace, so don't worry about filters.


I think she would still have to, though, for when her high velocity blower is used for the air conditioning. She has a.c. vents in every room.

[lmh2402]

i'm sorry, i'm honestly not trying to be dense so please bear with me

there is a lot of talk of filters

filters for heat are different than filters for AC, yes?... in my case anyway, b/c i have steam heat

am i getting this right?

so, b/c i have steam heat, i don't need to do anything about heat filters

but i do have to do something about AC filters

but that would be just during the cooling season, yes? so as long as i get my AC guy to come here in the spring and show us what to do, that should cover the AC filters...right?

so back to the heat, if i have steam heat, is there anything i am supposed to be doing to any of the devices in the basement

can anyone actually tell me what all the stuff is in the basement? is that just too dumb and broad a question?

i don't know who else to ask... dh doesn't know anymore than me

thanks

[crl]

If you have any exterior drains (like at the bottom of stairs into a basement or at the bottom of a sloped driveway), check them regularly to make sure they are not clogged with leaves or other debris. If they get clogged and it rains, you will have a flood.

Catherine

[indigo99]

Depending on what sort of house you have, you may need to have the outside cleaned once in a while. Our house is brick, but we do have some parts with vinyl siding that is in need of cleaning this spring. Be careful about who you hire to do things like that though. You don't want someone to stand on the ground and use a pressure washer if they don't know what they're doing because they can force water under the siding and ruin the insulation - causing mold and all sort of nasty, expensive problems.

You may also need to weatherize around doors and windows. Our windows are currently needing some more caulk as the old caulk has compacted and isn't filling the gaps like it should.

Depending on what sort of tubs/showers you have, you might also need to replace caulk there at some point. Hopefully you have the newer kind that's just all one piece. If not, watch for signs that it might be letting water through.

ETA: Our heat/air is one unit so it has one place for filters. If you used your air before this winter then it probably needs a new filter. As long as you have someone come and service it before using it this spring then you should be OK. Definitely have them show you where the filter goes though. That isn't something you want to call someone else to do for you.

[crl]

Did you have a home inspector when you bought? Did he or she leave you any information about maintaining the house? Ours have given us preprinted books with the parts that were relevant to our house checked off. You may be able to hire an inspector to come and give you all a lesson on your house.

Catherine

[lmh2402]

we did have an inspection (it was super expensive, as i recall)

and we didn't get anything other than a report on issues

no maintenance guides or anything

maybe there is someone we could hire to give us a tutorial... i'll have to think on that

i'm currently fighting with the manage my life site...i can't seem to figure out where i would go to get on a list of monthly homeowner maintenance tips...

[MSWR0319]

Do you have a water softener? If so, you'll need to make sure you put new salt in periodically. Depends on the size of your softener how often. Ours is extra large and i think DH does it every couple months.

[indigo99]

How many things are in your basement? We just have our heat pump. The hot water heater is in the garage. Apparently you have a boiler and an a/c unit, but I don't know what else there'd be.

[larig]

Did you have a home inspector when you bought? Did he or she leave you any information about maintaining the house? Ours have given us preprinted books with the parts that were relevant to our house checked off. You may be able to hire an inspector to come and give you all a lesson on your house.

Catherine

this is a great suggestion. The inspector we had for our house was really helpful in this regard. He told us what everything was, how to maintain it, how soon we could expect it to go bad, etc.

ETA: maybe you could post a picture of the stuff in the basement?

[MSWR0319]

We usually do a spring clean up outside ( pick up sticks, stones out of the yard, clean out flower beds, wash windows,etc) and then another one right before fall hits just to keep things looking nice.

[lmh2402]

our inspector did tell us that the water heater would go soon

would be nice to be able to replace it without having the only sign be having zero hot water one day

any ideas for how to know when to replace a hot water heater?

so, what is the difference between a furnace and a boiler?

and the furnace/boiler has nothing to do with heating water, right? that would be the job of the hot water heater...yes?

thanks

:bag

[ohsara430]

Oh my you sound quite overwhelmed OP. It's great that you're trying to get a handle on things and home ownership can be quite overwhelming. I would suggest if you or DH have any relatives or friends who are handy you should see if they could come over and help you figure out some of the basic maintenance. Ideally, your home inspector would have done this for you. Otherwise you could always find an experienced handyman to come and give you & DH a few tutorials on routine maintenance to be done to the systems of your house (i.e. HVAC filter replacement, water softener care, show you where your shut-off valves are, etc). Or even make friends with a handy neighbor and ask lots and lots of questions. Good luck, home ownership is an adventure :)

[lmh2402]

yes, i just called DH

we're going to find/hire someone to do a walk through with us and make a list of what is where, what it does, and what we need to do for its maintenance

thanks, guys

[marie]

-Heating - we had steam heat in our previous house (and apartments) and one thing we had to do was make sure that there is water in the system. Steam systems are "open" (as opposed to hot water systems which are "closed" since the water just keeps going around and around) and as such, lose water from the system. We killed a boiler because it ran out of water and the low-water cut off valve didn't work. How often we had to add depended on how much the heat was on - usually every other week during the winter in Massachusetts.

Here is a detailed description of steam heat:
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/hvac-steam-heating-systems.shtml

-We are more comfortable cleaning out the dryer vent at least twice a year. Not only does it make your dryer more efficient, but it also removes a fire hazard.

-Gutters cleaned out if you have gutters and trees that will deposit leaves in them!

-Window wells cleaned out in the spring/fall

-Windows - exteriors washed (more of an aesthetic thing)

-Water softener - add salt as needed, change filters every couple of months

-Smoke/carbon monoxide detectors - change batteries 2x/year

-Chimney inspected/swept (not sure how often)

-Septic - if you have a septic tank, it should be pumped out every 2 years or so

i'd suggest going to a bookstore and peruse the shelves for a dummies guide or something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-House-Works-Understanding/dp/0876290152/ref=pd_sim_b_2

good luck!

[jhamman]

Here's an older thread that has some good tips & chores for homeowners
(especially bostonsmama's post):

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=225703&highlight=maintenance+house

[vonfirmath]

our inspector did tell us that the water heater would go soon

would be nice to be able to replace it without having the only sign be having zero hot water one day

Actually that would be the BEST way to find out it was gone. The way I found out was when it leaked all over my bedroom -- I'd rather replace sooner than have THAT happen!

[boolady]

Actually that would be the BEST way to find out it was gone. The way I found out was when it leaked all over my bedroom -- I'd rather replace sooner than have THAT happen!

Um, yeah. You'd be very lucky if no hot water was how you found out your hot water heater has gone.

[candaceb]

forgive me if this was already mentioned, but how is your furnace fueled? Since you said you're in the northeast, I'm wondering if you have oil heat? If you do, it is very important to get the burner serviced & cleaned once a year. Usually you do it through the company that delivers your oil. We have a maintenance contract with them that includes the annual service.

[trales]

so...what happens if the hose is not detached from the outside faucet?

When you turn the water back on the spring the pipe can burst. Frost Free faucets are only frost free and won't burst if you disconnect the hose. ( I learned this by having a pipe burst in the spring).

Take pictures of the equip in the basement and we can walk you through it. A lot of the stuff that seems scary is really easy.

I re-did the plumbing myself, I have no talents, I wore a low cut tight shirt and walked into a small locally owned plumbing store with lipstick and walked out with all the parts I needed, and a lot of directions. It went very well.

[maestramommy]

Mostly dh keeps making the rounds, and making a list of things that need to be done. He does this year round, or at least when there's no snow on the ground and you can see the house unencumbered by snow. But sometimes things fall through. For example, slipping on the steps. Dh ran the snow blower through our driveway and front walk, and shoveled off the step a couple of nights ago. But the next morning as I was driving off to school I saw that the snow that was left looked a little slushy and crunchy. And I though I should probably shovel off the step completely because it could get slippery. Sure enough, when my sitter arrived, she actually slipped and fell. Luckily she caught herself and wasn't hurt, but she let me know, and I had her throw sand all over it. We have all these sandbags in the basement in case of flood and Dh has opened one for times like this.

He removes all the hoses in the fall, does the last grass cutting, and puts the mower away. Drags out the snow blower and does an oil change.

This summer he recaulked the step because he suspected water was getting into the basement during heavy rains behind the cracks. At some point he plans to dig a french drain around the back of our property so during heavy rains the water will run off to the side and into this woody area, instead of rolling down right into the house.

The to-do list never seems to end. Basically he's always adding to it, and getting to the items over the weekend, ticking them off in order of urgency and whether we have the funds if it's a big project. The last two years he's taken a week off work just to work on house projects.

Looking at some other lists. Dh checks the water softener periodically and refills the salt. Since we got a fireplace insert stove, we now have to get the chimney cleaned regularly. In the summer we have the pool open so he checks the water balance every night, and adds chlorine as needed. Opening and closing the pool are two major tasks of the summer season.

[vludmilla]

And if you have steam heat, you don't have a gas furnace, so don't worry about filters.

My MIL & FIL have a gas furnace and steam heat. It is very common around here.

[vludmilla]

our inspector did tell us that the water heater would go soon

would be nice to be able to replace it without having the only sign be having zero hot water one day

any ideas for how to know when to replace a hot water heater?

so, what is the difference between a furnace and a boiler?

and the furnace/boiler has nothing to do with heating water, right? that would be the job of the hot water heater...yes?

thanks

:bag

The hot water heater, unless you have a crazy old system, is the tall cylindrical thing in your basement, the furnce is probably shorter and boxy. Hot water heaters are typically only good for 10-12 years. You do not want to wait for it to fail as it might flood your basement. If it is 12 years old or more, replace it asap.

[mommylamb]

Just wanted to say that you're not alone in cluelessness on these matters. DH and I are not handy at all, so I'm learning from this.

[niccig]

Don't worry, we were the same. We normally find things out as we go and something breaks. We're getting better though.

We do our furnace filter monthly and buy the cheap ones - our return is in the floor in the family room.

I try to wash the windows twice a year, as I also check the paintwork by the window sills etc for any rot. I also wipe down the doors, check the paint there. I normally don't get it all done twice. eg. I start on one window and get 3/4 of the way around, and then the next time, I start where I didn't get to and then get 3/4 way around. Seems to be enough

Your water heater should be drained once a year - I had ours done by the plumber last year for first time in 5 years...oh well, know now. Our water heater is beside the furnace and we did have it leak, but thankfully it did not take out the furnace, as caught it early. We had a new heater put in and a sensor so that if it gets wet, it turns the water heater off - the plumber did that as our water heater is too tall for the space and it will fail on us as it overheats as vent not at right angle - wish plumber who replaced the broken water heater told us that. :32:

We don't have to winterize, so I can't help there.

We have a big landscaped yard, and this year we're getting in early before it all goes crazy in the Spring. We're pruning, cleaning up, weeding, putting more mulch down, so it's ready for spring planting. We're in different part of country, so it might be too early for you to do this. We bought a book that is just about gardening in our region and it lists what to do each month - very helpful.

We've learned to do things before it gets too big a problem, as it's an easier fix and doesn't cost as much.

We have an independent hardware store and I go in and ask question after question until I understand what to do. I also google and watch youtube videos. We do as much as we can ourselves, but call in an expert when we need it.

We're also more on top of things each year and as DS gets older we can get more done, so it doesn't feel as overwhelming as it did when we first moved in.

[niccig]

There is a website called manage my life that has great tips on seasonal chores for homeowners. I get their emails and we see if we need to do that chore in our house, very helpful for us as non handy first time homeowners. It is free. We also got a book for diy home maintenance for newbies, trying to remember the name if it, my husband enjoyed it a lot and it seems to have helped. If I think of the name I will post it.

Katie is it http://www.manageyourlifenow.com/
I would like reminders as I know there are some things I'm not doing. I would also like the title of the book if you can remember it.

I googled for a list and I found this monthly list. http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/

[kijip]

Katie is it http://www.manageyourlifenow.com/
I would like reminders as I know there are some things I'm not doing. I would also like the title of the book if you can remember it.

I googled for a list and I found this monthly list. http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/

It is this one:

http://www.managemylife.com/ ETA: You can also list all your appliance brands and model numbers on the site and pull your product manuals up on PDF.

And the book is simply called Homeowners Manual. It is a very basic guide but for people like us who had never owned a home or been involved in home stuff of any kind (my parents mainly rented and his parents were very affluent and just called someone and paid $$$ anytime they needed help with anything more complicated than changing a lightbulb).

I also can not tell you enough how much we learned from our very handy friend. He is super helpful and we repay his expertise and labor on our projects with our labor on his big projects and our very occasional expertise, usually on a non-handy topic. ;)

[larig]

Actually that would be the BEST way to find out it was gone. The way I found out was when it leaked all over my bedroom -- I'd rather replace sooner than have THAT happen!
:yeahthat:

ours went on a friday morning--LABOR DAY WEEKEND! We had no water heater until the following Tuesday, and I had a 4 month old.

I highly recommend a tankless water heater. We really like ours.

[DebbieJ]

I don't know much. When something breaks, I call my dad. :)

[larig]

When you turn the water back on the spring the pipe can burst. Frost Free faucets are only frost free and won't burst if you disconnect the hose. ( I learned this by having a pipe burst in the spring).

Take pictures of the equip in the basement and we can walk you through it. A lot of the stuff that seems scary is really easy.

I re-did the plumbing myself, I have no talents, I wore a low cut tight shirt and walked into a small locally owned plumbing store with lipstick and walked out with all the parts I needed, and a lot of directions. It went very well.

:cheerleader1: Go, you!

[melonpan]

"The last two years he's taken a week off work just to work on house projects."

wow!

[newg]

here are two quick tips......

to de-ice back steps quickly just take your table salt and throw it on the steps. Works just like the stuff you buy in the large bags. I do this all the time when I open the back door to let the dogs out and see the steps are iced over.

DH has also gotten very chummy with some of the guys at lowes. He loves to try and fix stuff himself....so he'll take a bunch of pictures and measurements (like when he replaced our back steps) and go over to lowes.....show the guys there the pictures and measurements and they help him figure out what he needs to do. You could probably do the same thing to learn about what's in your basement, or any item in your house, and the best way to take care of it.