It is exciting to be the first homeowners of a brand new, just-built home. As owners, there are some things to be aware of in that first year. You may be anxious to pick out colours and get your new home painted as soon as possible. You don’t like the ‘builder’s beige’ colour, as it is known, and who can blame you.
However, it is best to wait about year or so after you’ve moved in before you begin painting (or hiring painters). Newly constructed homes need time to settle. Due to settling, nails that hold drywall to the stud will sometimes pop out within the first year. These are called nail pops and are a normal occurrence. The nails will have to be screwed back in, the holes refilled with drywall mud, sanded and then repainted. Home builders will usually put the nails back in and refill the holes, but they usually won’t do paint touch-ups. You have to do it yourself.
Sometimes it will be noticeable where the paint touch-ups are, as the colour might not blend in perfectly with the existing paint on the wall. If you don’t mind this extra work and interruption down the road, go ahead and paint now!
If you want someone else to clean up the mess (there will be drywall dust when the nails pop out, and more to clean when the sanding is done), consider hiring professional cleaners to do it. Sunrise Cleaning Services can do a beautiful job cleaning your new home, and taking care of the drywall dust and mess that sanding leaves.
Speaking of drywall, within that first year of a new home there is a great deal of construction dust that exists from all the drywalls, cabinetry and other woodwork. Most new homes have forced air heating systems and the fine dust particles will be picked up and blown throughout the house. It is important to change your furnace filter regularly and to have your vents and ducts cleaned as well.
If there are any unfinished rooms or areas of the basement, you should be aware that concrete floors shed concrete dust during the curing process (the hardening process) for the first year. These floors need to be mopped regularly to cut down on the amount of dust that will be carried throughout the house.
Of course it is important to take care of your new home by cleaning it regularly. Your home builder will provide you with a list of cleaners that are safe for cleaning all the different surfaces such as floors, cabinetry, woodwork, railings and countertops. If you don’t want to clean it yourself, consider hiring outside help. Sunrise Cleaning Services has knowledgeable professionals who are experienced with cleaning every type of home – old or new. Visit our website at http://www.sunrise-cleaning.ca/ for more information. Enjoy your new home!
