How To Keep Your Home Safe and Healthy in Every Season with Daniel Felt

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Summary:

[149] – Whether you’re facing scorching heat, pounding rain, freezing temperatures, or strong winds, keeping your home safe in every season is crucial to ensure your family’s comfort and well-being.

In this episode, Jeremy Keil talks about how you can prepare your home for all four seasons of the year with home maintenance expert Daniel Felt from Kura Home Maintenance. Daniel talks about his motivation behind starting the company and the homeowners he helps maintain their homes, particularly the older folks who need the most help. He also shares tips on preparing your home for the changing seasons to keep your property in top condition.

Daniel discusses:

• Why he started Kura Home Maintenance, and who he helps maintain their homes
• What older folds often need help taking care of the most
• How you can prepare your home for each of the four seasons to help maintain your property
• And more

How To Keep Your Home Safe and Healthy in Every Season

Are you overwhelmed with the complexities of maintaining your home in every season? Whether you’re in retirement or still working, keeping your home safe and healthy requires attention to various aspects that may be unfamiliar to you. With changing building codes, increasing appliance complexities, and the desire to age in place, home maintenance can become challenging.

Kura Home Maintenance serves a diverse range of clients, from retirees to dual-income families with kids. They specialize in helping homeowners keep their homes safe and healthy in every season. From maintaining appliances to managing filters and addressing code requirements, they take care of the details so you can enjoy your home without the stress. Their primary focus is to ensure that your house is properly maintained so that you can live there longer, it’s easier to live there, you’re happier, and things don’t break down faster.

Their co-founder, Daniel Felt, shares some tips with us to help you prepare your home for every season of the year. Whether you’re in retirement or still in your working years, he shares his knowledge and expertise to help keep your home safe and healthy.

How Should You Maintain Your Home In The Winter?

In the winter,  it’s crucial to take steps to maintain your home, especially if you live in an area with heavy snowfall. One key issue to address is snow on your roof, as it can lead to problems like ice dams. Ice dams occur when heat from your home escapes into the attic due to insufficient insulation or a poorly installed vapor layer, causing snow to melt and refreeze at the edge of the roof. This ice buildup can then seep underneath shingles and into your home, resulting in costly damage.

Another common issue in winter is snow accumulation on decks and around patio doors. As snow melts, the water may have nowhere to go and can seep into your basement, even if it wasn’t initially a problem. Additionally, sump pump failures can occur if the pump hose is not detached in the fall and freezes during temperature fluctuations. This can cause the pump to burn out, leading to potential water damage in your home.

In addition to these specific winter-related issues, it’s important to continue regular home maintenance tasks such as changing filters and cleaning refrigerator coils. Being vigilant about addressing winter-specific problems like snow on the roof, snow accumulation around the home, and sump pump maintenance can help prevent costly damage and ensure your home remains safe and well-maintained during the winter season.

What Home Maintenance Should You Prioritize In The Spring?

Maintaining your home in the spring requires some key tasks to ensure efficient functioning.

One of them is cleaning your AC unit to remove any debris like leaves, dust, or wood that may have accumulated over the winter. You can do this yourself with a hose or have it professionally cleaned.

Checking and cleaning your gutters is also a crucial task in the spring, as they may have become detached during winter.

If you have a humidifier in your home, it’s important to switch it to the summer setting in the spring. Keeping humidity levels between 30% and 40% is ideal to avoid issues like static shocks and condensation on windows that can lead to rot or mold problems.

These are some of the small but important tasks to consider when maintaining your home in the spring to ensure you keep your home safe and healthy.

What Home Maintenance Needs To Be Done In The Summer?

Summer can be a relatively easier time for household maintenance tasks compared to other seasons.

It’s a good opportunity to tackle annual tasks such as cleaning dryer vents and refrigerator coils, as well as checking and changing filters, like those for ice or water. It’s also a great time to inspect the roof for any damage from previous weather events, such as hail storms, as the roof is less likely to be slippery in warmer weather.

Checking the gutters and doing a thorough once-over of the house is also recommended during summer.

It’s also important to conduct a general inspection of everything else to ensure the house is running smoothly. This can include checking for any signs of wear and tear, addressing potential issues, and making sure all systems and components are in good working order.

By taking these proactive measures during the summer, you can help maintain your home’s condition and prevent potential problems down the road.

What Do You Have To Take Care Of In Your Home In The Fall?

Fall is probably the most important time of the year to maintain your home because you’re getting ready for winter. 

Fall maintenance tasks include checking and cleaning gutters, changing filters in your home, and ensuring your air exchanger is clean. Cleaning gutters around Halloween is ideal as most leaves have fallen by then, preventing them from decomposing and causing issues during winter.

Changing filters, such as those in your HVAC system and humidifier, is crucial for maintaining good indoor air quality, especially if you have pets or if your home is tightly sealed.

Air exchangers, also known as ERVs or HRVs, are newer technologies commonly found in utility rooms of homes built in the last 10 to 15 years. They are responsible for bringing fresh air into the home and require regular cleaning. Clogged filters in the air exchanger can result in an imbalance of air pressure in the home and can negatively impact air quality. Mold and other pollutants can accumulate in the filters, affecting the health of you and your family. Regular maintenance of these often neglected areas can significantly improve the air quality in your home and prevent health issues.

Taking these steps to maintain gutters, change filters, and clean air exchangers can help ensure a healthy indoor environment during the winter months when we spend more time indoors.

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To learn more about maintaining your home in all seasons, check out the resources below!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or our guest, Daniel Felt, using the contact information provided below!

Resources:

• Kura Home: Annual Home Maintenance Plan For Every Season
• Free Retirement Planning Video Course: 5stepretirementplan.com
• 3 Things You Should Know Before Choosing A Financial Advisor
• 7 Questions That Could Make or Break Your Retirement
• Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Google Podcasts
• Subscribe to Retirement Revealed on Apple Podcasts

Connect With Daniel Felt:

• Kura Home Maintenance 
• LinkedIn: Daniel Felt

Connect With Jeremy Keil:

• 262-333-8353
• Keil Financial Partners
• LinkedIn: Jeremy Keil
• Facebook: Jeremy Keil
• LinkedIn: Keil Financial Partners
• Book a call with Jeremy

About Our Guest:

Daniel Felt is the co-founder of Kura Home Maintenance, a company that provides comprehensive home maintenance services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With a background growing up on a farm in Central Minnesota, Daniel and his team visit approximately 800 homes every three to four months, performing tasks that most homeowners don’t have the time or expertise to handle. Since starting Kura Home Maintenance in 2016, the company has grown to include a subscription-based model and one-time services for air duct cleaning, AC unit cleaning, and dryer vent cleaning.

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