Work Holiday Projects

Work holidays provide a great opportunity for a variety of house projects, although these projects can be done at any time of course.  It really depends on what needs to get done at your house and what your members choose to focus on.  Below are some options.

For Anyone:

1. Repaint rooms, hallways, stairways, etc. (Repair holes and dents in advance.)
2. Paint murals / decorate common spaces. (Repair holes and dents in advance.)
3. Clean out all hallways and stairways. (Label non-guff items in advance.)
4. Clean out storage rooms. (Label non-guff items in advance.)
5. Take large or excess garbage to Drop-Off Station.
6. Deep clean cooking stove and exhaust hood.
7. De-lime sanitizer.
8. Defrost any non-frost-free freezers.
9. Clean coils on refrigerators and freezers.
10. Clean out bath fans.
11. Clean fin tubes on baseboard radiators.
12. Groundskeeping.
13. Repair / replace any missing or damaged window screens.
14. Replace any missing or old smoke detector batteries.
15. Lubricate door locks.
16. Lubricate door hinges and door closers.
17. Fire-caulk around any cable or pipe penetrations through walls.
18. Re-caulk bathrooms.

For Maintenance People:

1. Repair holes and dents in drywall (or plaster).
2. Bleed air from heat system radiators.
3. Label breakers on breaker panels (& fuses on fuseboxes).
4. Repair/replace old electrical outlets.
5. Get all bedroom and hallway doors to self-close and latch.
6. Refinish wood floors.

For Anyone:

1. Repaint rooms, hallways, stairways, etc. (Repair holes and dents in advance.)

• Sandpaper
• Bucket & rags
• Tape
• Tarp / plastic / newspaper
• Paper towels
• Primer
• Paint
• Paint can opener
• Hammer
• Paint mixing sticks
• Brushes
• Rollers
• Roller covers
• Trays
• Ladder
• Painting pole (roller extension)

2. Paint murals / decorate common spaces. (Repair holes and dents in advance.)

• Same as above

3. Clean out all hallways and stairways. (Label non-guff items in advance.)

4. Clean out storage rooms. (Label non-guff items in advance.)

5. Take large or excess garbage to Drop-Off Station.

• Pickup truck
• Gloves

6. Deep clean cooking stove and exhaust hood.

• Cleaning products
• Steel wool
• Sponge / brush
• Paper towels

7. De-lime sanitizer.

• De-limer
• Sponge / brush

8. Defrost any non-frost-free freezers.

• Towels
• Bucket & rags
• Blow-dryer

9. Clean the coils on refrigerators and freezers.

• Brush
• Vacuum
• Compressed air
• Foam coil cleaner

10. Clean out bath fans.

• Ladder
• Brush
• Compressed air

11. Clean fin tubes on baseboard radiators.

• Brush
• Vacuum
• Compressed air
• Foam coil cleaner

12. Groundskeeping.

• Gloves
• Lawn bags
• Rakes
• Shovels
• Gardening tools

13. Repair / replace any missing or damaged window screens.

• Ladder
• Measuring tape

14. Replace any missing or old smoke detector batteries.

• 9V Batteries
• Extra smoke detectors
• Drill (for wall anchors)
• Screwdriver
• Ladder

15. Lubricate door locks.

• WD40
• Master key

16. Lubricate door hinges and door closers.

• WD40

17. Fire-caulk around any cable or pipe penetrations through walls.

• Caulk
• Caulk gun

18. Re-caulk bathrooms.

• Utility knife / razor blade
• Caulk
• Caulk gun

For Maintenance People:

1. Repair holes and dents in drywall (or plaster).

• Paint scraper (stiff putty knife)
• Flexible putty knife
• Joint compound (or patching plaster)
• Drywall hand sander & sandpaper sheets

2. Bleed air from heat system radiators.

• Bleeder key / screwdriver
• Cup & bucket

3. Label breakers on breaker panels (& fuses on fuse-boxes).

• Cell phones
• Sharpie & pen
• Voltage detector / outlet tester

4. Repair / replace old electrical outlets.

• GFCI receptacles
• Cover plates
• Screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Voltage detector
• Outlet tester
• Utility knife
• Flash light / head lamp

5. Get all bedroom and hallway doors to self-close and latch.

• Screwdriver
• Hex keys
• Hinge pins

6. Refinish wood floors.