Five things in your home that you should give annual maintenance

What maintenance should I perform on my home? How often should I clean the air conditioner? What happens if I don’t maintain it? These are common questions and doubts that arise in all of us about our homes.

At Proyectos Mar Azul, we have a Technical Inspections department, in addition to Delivery, Post-Sale and Guarantees, with highly trained personnel who will provide us with recommendations on what we should maintain at least once a year, in our homes.

We share with you the five recommendations of two architects, Aura Quintana and Sol Caballero, who are part of our team of specialists:

• Maintenance of A/C: These must be maintained as indicated by the promoter and carried out according to the times established by the manufacturer, to guarantee the durability of the machines and avoid future leaks and/or damage to the equipment. One of the reasons why it is important to carry out this maintenance is that, otherwise, they can generate condensation and this can affect areas within the home, as well as that of other owners, especially if the home is in a building. The recommended time is to perform maintenance every 4 months.
• Silicones for windows and balcony railings: Being Panama a tropical country, we know that the rainy months can cause many effects. For this reason, it is important to check these seals, to prevent water from leaking during the rains that may cause leaks, directly affecting the home or in the case of apartments, also neighboring homes. The recommended time is to be able to perform a review and seal every 12 months.
• Floor maintenance: For floor maintenance it is important to know what type of floor it is and the best forms of maintenance and cleaning, to keep it in the best possible appearance. One of the important and most delicate points to pay attention to regarding the floor is the seal and grout, especially if it is in an open area. For the floors it is important to carry out maintenance, to avoid that the grout can rise, either by exposure to the sun, water and others. In cases of being natural stone, it is important to seal it and in this way prevent moisture from the rain passing to the stone and staining it. Similarly, it is important to check the grout in bathrooms and showers, as over time the grout can loosen and leakage occurs. The recommended time is to perform a review and touch-ups every 18 months, this may vary in quality and type of material.
• Appliances and smoke detectors: It is important to make filter changes to appliances such as refrigerators and dryers. A constant review of their filters must be carried out, to prevent the equipment from not working properly and generating a bad smell. Smoke detectors are of great importance and highly necessary for the prevention of major incidents. For this equipment, the quality of the installed batteries should be checked since once the equipment is missing batteries it will generate an annoying beep and the equipment will not be able to function properly during an emergency situation. The recommended time is every 6 months.
• Locks, door hinges and kitchen cabinets: These are elements that we often forget, but they also suffer wear and tear. The hinges often get dust, causing the doors to loosen and rub against the floor causing scratches and sounds when opening and closing. Likewise, the proper function of locks can be affected by the accumulation of dust and create a layer that can stain their finish. By conducting these reviews we avoid damage and extend its useful life. The recommended time to carry out a review is every 6 months.

Being able to carry out these revisions on time is of great value, and the benefits that can be had with a good maintenance plan are many, such as cost reduction, reduction in repair times, evaluating the best solution and, of course, avoiding major inconveniences that can generate additional costs and discomfort to the whole family, as well as the importance of maintaining their warranty. Let us also consider that being more relaxed and having the assurance that everything is in optimal condition will surely reduce the stress that these situations can generate.

But if you already have problems with any area of your home, remember that at Proyectos Mar Azul we have the residential and commercial Technical Inspections service, and we are always available to advise you.