Owning a home is a significant responsibility. One of the best ways to make sure that your financial investment makes sense for you is to learn how to tackle some basic and important home maintenance

tasks. If you’re looking to buy a house or have recently become a homeowner, here are the most important skills to master.

Stopping leaky faucets: Leaks can be an annoyance – and an annoying expense if you don’t know how to take care of them. Bob Villa recommends these easy steps to handle it: “Turn off the water to the sink and stop the drain with a rag so you don’t lose any small parts while you’re dismantling the faucet. A compression faucet needs a new rubber washer to seal the valve, and a drippy washerless faucet can be stopped up with a new O-ring.”

Changing furnace filters: Anything having to do with your furnace can be intimidating, as it’s often one of the biggest – and most expensive – appliances in your home. But being able to change your furnace filter is actually a way to increase efficiency and keep heating and cooling costs down. Changing the filter is fairly easy, particularly if you have the owners manual (or access to the PDF online): find the right filter for your furnace, turn off the furnace, and take off the service panel to switch out the old filter for the new one. It’s an easy to tackle task and should be done regularly.

Caring for hardwood floors: If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood floors, it’s important to know how to care for them. Using water can help get up spills, but exposure to too much water will damage the wood. Vacuuming with a soft attachment can keep floors free of debris and hair without damaging them.

Our product lineup can help keep you prepared for your most important home tasks. When in doubt, call an expert – but know that it’s possible to learn a few things yourself to keep homeowner costs down and keep you in control!