Home Maintenance and Safety Tips

Here is the monthly tips newsletter for all who are interested.  There is some more good stuff in here to help all you realtors become a little more familiar with home in general.

Here's to a good summer market...

From Inspect-It 1st Property Inspection
"The Nation's Premier Property Inspection Company"

Doors & Windows
Doors and windows receive more wear and tear than almost any component of the home. Exterior doors and exterior windows are subject to thermal impact that may range more than 100 degrees from the interior side of the door. While exterior temperatures may vary from below zero to more than 115 degrees, the inside of most homes stays within a range of perhaps 20 degrees.

Since windows and doors are made from a variety of products such as wood, haarboard, vinyl, aluminum and other metals, these products expand and contract in varying amounts. Wood also changes its shape and structure as a result of moisture content and temperature changes. So depending on the season, the same wood doors, door frames and window frames may perform very differently from one season to another. A door that fits perfectly in the winter may swell against the door frame and not fit well in the summer.

When you add in the varying methods of installation, new building methods, new building wrap products, coatings, flashing's and exterior cladding products, you are left with a complex mix of issues that affect the performance of your windows and doors.

Here are a few important maintenance suggestions regarding windows and doors:

1. Windows and doors must receive regular maintenance in order to perform optimally.
2. Doors with tracks, such as sliding glass doors, should be kept clean and both tracks and locksets should be kept lubricated. Depending on where you live, we recommend spray lubricants such as silicone spray, WD-40, graphite spray, Elmer's Dry Lube, etc. The best choice for your specific home should be based on where you live. If in doubt, ask your favorite hardware store employee. We recommend sprays with a higher lubricant content for homes in low humidity areas such as Arizona, as the lubricant will remain on the door hardware for a longer period of time.
3. Doors such as garage doors should be lubricated as noted above, with spray on the inside of the main door tracks (where the roller wheels rub against the metal). We do not recommend the use of grease on door tracks; not only is it messy but it will cause the wheels to slip if it is over applied. Garage door openers require minimal maintenance; please check the Owner's Manual for your specific unit.
4. We recommend regular cleaning and lubrication of all door hinges, handles and locksets and all window tracks and applicable hardware such as locks. Garage door brackets, especially the hinge brackets that hold the panels together, should be periodically inspected and tightened as necessary. A hex wrench or nut driver is all that is needed to keep most of these nuts tightened.
5. Any door or window should be periodically examined to make sure that components are working properly, that tracks are intact, that stops are in place and that the components are not worn, misaligned, damaged, dirty or obstructed.

Safety Tip!

All bedrooms should have at least two points of egress (exit) to prevent any occupants from being trapped in the bedroom in the event of a fire. Most often one point of egress is a door and at least one point of egress must be to the exterior. If the point of egress to the exterior is a window, there are some generally accepted guidelines.

Maximum window sill heights range from 40"to 44" from the floor so that it can be exited easily from the inside. The generally accepted minimum window area is 5.7 square feet. This is to allow a firefighter with a pack and firesuit to be able to enter in the event of an emergency.

These are generally accepted minimum window dimensions:

• 22 inches by 40 inches
• 20 inches by 41 inches
• 24 inches by 34 inches
• 18 inches by 32 inches
• 15 inches by 36 inches

We strongly recommend that you train all occupants (including visitors) regarding fire safety. Especially important is to provide training regarding any special locks, clamp locks, pins or burglar bars that are installed on the bedroom windows.

The use of fixed burglar bars that cannot be easily removed or swung outwards in the event of a fire could have tragic consequences for you, your friends and your family. These burglar bars should be avoided at all costs. If you insist on using burglar bars on bedroom windows, investigate the swing-out type that lock from the inside or provide an easily accessible key for any padlocks that may be used.

Fires in homes often produce lots of thick, dark smoke which will make it very difficult to see. Escaping a fire is hard enough without being trapped at the window because of burglar bars.

See you next month!