Just like any other home, modular homes require maintenance, especially that Ontario experiences different weather conditions. Prefab homes, like traditional homes, are investments, and maintaining them will help you ensure that it is in good shape and protected. Check out the following maintenance tips for your prefab home.

Tip 1: Check the foundation or any support structure at least once a year.

Annual checking of the foundation is one of the most important things you should do, especially in the first few years (since move-in), to ensure no settling, shifting, or cracking has occurred. Like any other site-built home, prefab homes tend to sink over time and may cause imbalance later. Imbalances in your prefab home could cause many problems if not corrected, such as leaks or cracks in walls, warping of structures, visible cracks, etc. 

Annual checking will help you ensure that your house is solid and level, which means an outstanding balance between the structural loads in your prefab home. You can perform the checking using a carpenter’s level, a level hose, or any other tool you have that can precisely check the balance of the house. If such imbalance occurs, bring in a professional to inspect your foundation. Do this during spring as winter and summer could cause expansion and contraction on your house supports.

Tip 2: Inspect, repair, and clean your roof.

Regularly check your roofing and clean off debris or any dirt buildup on it. If there are broken shingles, flashing, ridge roll, or any other roofing portions, make sure to replace them immediately. During winter, ice buildup could damage your roof, as it adds a significant amount of weight to it. Just be extra careful in removing the snow buildup as it may cause further repairs when not done correctly. 

You may also apply a durable roof coating or a sealant annually to protect your roofing from extreme weather conditions. Roof coatings are significant in regulating the temperature and dryness of your prefab home. Remember that any imperfection in your roof could cause moisture, air, or insects to enter your home. If you have the budget, it’s best to hire an expert in cleaning or repairing your roof to ensure that they’re in safe hands.

Tip 3: Regularly check your gutter system.

Like in site-built homes, the gutter system is always to look out for regularly in a prefab home. You must check out your gutters and downspouts to further prevent damages due to the clogging of various debris like leaves, rocks, twigs, dirt, and even ice. Negligence to do so can cause severe problems to your prefab home’s roofing and exterior as it may spark leakage of water and breakage in your home. It is ideal to do this as frequently as possible during spring and winter. 

Tip 4: Check your prefab home’s heating and ventilation systems frequently.

To improve the air quality in your prefab home, check and clean your heating and air ventilation multiple times a year, say every 30-60 days. You must clean or change the filters regularly and better if you schedule a complete vacuum cleaning for all air systems annually. In addition to changing or cleaning the filters, you must also check your air conditioners if insects or crawlers are coming in or if molds appear. 

This maintenance can help prevent the whole air system from future damage and avoid breathing and skin problems in your home. You have the option to rent a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner and do it yourself or hire a professional to do the checking and cleaning on the entire air system, including vents and ducts. Remember that it’s way expensive to replace a whole air system, so you must do preventive maintenance for it to last longer. 

Tip 5: Inspect and repair your plumbing system.

In general, the common problem with the plumbing system is the undetected small leaks from pipes. It is why inspections of water and sewer pipes are critical to detect them for immediate repair. 

A usual indication that something is wrong with your pipings is the sudden drop in water pressure. During winter, you shall monitor pipes closely as even with the slightest crack, the water may freeze and cause pipes to freeze and burst, and you don’t want that to happen. 

Aside from pipe leakage, you must also check and clean your drains from your plumbing fixtures, such as water faucets, drains, tubs, showers, and dishwashers, to ensure proper flow.

Tip 6: Clean the sidings of your prefab house regularly.

If you don’t want molds, rust, and mildews growing on your modular home, then you must clean both interior and exterior sidings regularly. You may use water and detergent for vinyl sidings to clean them, as it has proven to be an effective cleaning solution for molds.

Mildew is a lot harder to clean compared to molds. But a helpful technique in cleaning them is mixing a 1:3 solution of chlorine bleach and water. Just be cautious in mixing these chemicals as they might irritate your skin.  

Research as there are many more special cleaning agents and solutions you can buy from the market perfect for removing stains, rust, and molds. Be careful not to use abrasive cleaning solutions as they might damage your prefab home’s sidings. Just remember to clean both the interior and exterior of your prefab home at least once a year to maintain its good condition and prevent further damage. 

Trip 7: Clean and repair doors and windows.

Straightforward maintenance that you can do to your home is clean and check for repairs to your doors and windows. Cleaning windows will not just make them look more excellent and presentable but to let in more sunlight. For windows with caulking, problems must be addressed. 

Ontario experiences extreme temperature changes, and these changes can cause significant issues to caulk as they may split, shrink, or result in gaps which can be very uncomfortable and can cause higher billing costs for your house’s heating and cooling. Recaulk your windows whenever possible.