ADU Maintenance – Keeping Your ADU in Top Shape | ADU Adventures EP07

Protect Your ADU: Essential Maintenance Tips to Avoid Costly Repairs

Your Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a major investment—don’t let small maintenance issues turn into expensive disasters. In this episode, we discuss why regular ADU maintenance is essential for preserving value, preventing costly repairs, and ensuring long-term durability.

Why It Matters:
ADUs are compact, meaning minor issues—like a slow leak—can escalate quickly. Learn how the Martinez family’s "slightly uneven" kitchen floor turned out to be a hidden water leak and how catching it early saved them thousands in repairs.

Simple Maintenance Routines That Save You Money:

• Inspect plumbing for leaks and moisture
• Change HVAC filters regularly
• Seal drafty windows and doors
• Test smoke detectors monthly
• Flush your water heater annually
• Perform seasonal ADU maintenance to prevent long-term damage

Ready to protect your ADU? Start these easy maintenance routines today and tune in next time as we explore the latest trends in ADU design and technology.

Have questions about maintaining your ADU or starting a new project? Visit actonadu.com/podcast or call 408-369-1103 for a free consultation.

Keywords for SEO: ADU maintenance, ADU repairs, backyard home upkeep, Accessory Dwelling Unit tips, preventing costly ADU repairs, home improvement, small space maintenance, protecting your ADU investment, long-term ADU care.

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Acton ADU – The Home of the Build-Ready ADU, Serving Homeowners for Over 35 Years

With over 35 years of experience and 5-star reviews that speak for themselves, Acton ADU is the leading expert in Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Based locally in Campbell, California, we proudly serve homeowners in over 20 cities—from Redwood City to San Jose and as far south as Gilroy.

We specialize in high-quality, traditionally built backyard homes, providing turnkey ADU solutions that save time and money without sacrificing quality. As the home of the Build-Ready ADU, we offer fully curated, pre-designed ADU Packages designed for multi-generational living and long-term property investment. Whether you're considering a mother-in-law suite, casita, or granny flat, our team ensures a seamless, stress-free experience from design and permitting to construction and warranty.

Why Homeowners Choose Acton ADU:

• Locally based in Campbell, CA – serving over 20 cities from Redwood City to Gilroy
• Over 35 years of expertise in building high-quality ADUs
• Build-Ready ADUs – pre-approved, expertly designed backyard homes for faster approvals and lower costs
• Custom ADU solutions – tailored to fit your property and lifestyle
• 5-star reviews...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Hello and welcome back to ADU Adventures Building
in the Backyard.
I'm James, your host, and ifyou've been with me through this
journey, you already know we'vecovered lots of topics like
zoning and construction laws,smart design, finance and how to
best utilize an ADU as a greatinvestment.
But there's one thing wehaven't covered yet, something
that's just as important asgetting your ADU built in the

(00:22):
first place and making thatinvestment.
How do you keep your ADU ingreat shape?
Because here's the truth An ADUis a home, just like your main
house, and homes require care,whether you're living in it
yourself, using it as a guestspace or for family, or renting
it out.
Regular maintenance is the keyto keeping it comfortable,
energy efficient, problem-freeand to protect your investment.

(00:44):
Too often homeowners build anADU, move in and then forget
about maintenance untilsomething goes wrong, but by the
time a problem becomesnoticeable, it's usually a lot
bigger or more expensive to fix.
Today, we're going to breakdown some of the essentials of
ADU maintenance the simpleroutines that keep everything
running smoothly, the smallissues that can turn into big
ones, and a real-life story ortwo of a homeowner who barely

(01:07):
avoided a disaster by catching aproblem just in time.
So if you want to protect yourinvestment, save money and avoid
unnecessary headaches down theroad, stick with me.
This episode is packed withuseful tips.
So let's get started.
Adus are a lot smaller thanfull-sized homes, which means
that even minor maintenanceissues can escalate quickly.

(01:27):
A tiny leak under the sink Wellthat can turn a wood floor into
a rotten, moldy and expensivewater-damaged mess.
A clogged vent.
Suddenly you're dealing withpoor air circulation through the
entire structure.
So what should you be keepingan eye on?
First, plumbing?
Water can be one of the biggestthreats to any home, and your
ADU is no exception.
Slow drip under the sink mightnot seem like a big deal, but

(01:49):
over time it can lead to a majorproblem.
Every few months, take a lookunder your sinks, check around
your toilet and inspect thewater heater for any signs of
moisture.
If you notice puddles,discoloration or musty smells,
address it right away before itturns into something serious.
Next, we've got heating andcooling.
If your ADU has its own HVACsystem, changing the air filters

(02:11):
every few months is one of theeasiest things you can do to
keep it running efficiently.
When filters get clogged withdust and debris, your system has
to work harder, which not onlyincreases your energy bills but
also shortens the lifespan ofthe unit in general.
And speaking of energyefficiency, check your doors and
windows for drafts.
Even a small gap cansignificantly affect heating and

(02:33):
cooling.
Adding a little bit of weatherstripping can make a big
difference, keeping your ADUwarm in the winter and cool in
the summer without overworkingyour HVAC system.
Let's be honest, no one reallyloves doing maintenance.
It's one of those things thatare easy to push to the bottom
of your to-do list untilsomething actually breaks.
But here's the good news If youget into a simple routine, you

(02:54):
can avoid most of the big,expensive problems.
One of the easiest habits toadopt Walk through your ADU
every few months with a criticaleye.
Look for small but tellingsigns.
Are there tiny cracks formingin the foundation?
Do you see moisture building upnear the windows?
Is the bathroom fan making anunusual noise?
You don't have to be aprofessional inspector to spot
potential problems.

(03:14):
Just paying attention can helpcatch things early.
Another simple but crucialhabit test your smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors.
It only takes 30 seconds.
Push the button.
You're good.
If it doesn't replace thebatteries immediately.
And if your ADU has a waterheater, flush it once a year.
This helps clear out sedimentbuildup, which can reduce

(03:34):
efficiency and eventually causeit to fail.
A well-maintained water heaterwill last years longer and save
you money and energy bills.
Now let me tell you a storyabout the we'll call them the
Martinez family, because theylearned the value of early
maintenance the hard way.
They built a 600 square footdetached ADU for their retired
parents.
Everything seemed perfect.

(03:55):
Then, a few years after movingin, they noticed that the floor
near the kitchen sink felt alittle off Not bad, just
slightly uneven.
At first they ignored it.
It's probably just the housesettling, they thought.
A few years later, stillsettling, something's not right.
And a few weeks after that theyspotted a small water stain
along the baseboards.

(04:16):
That's when they decided tocall a plumber and a good thing
they did too Turned out thatthere was a slow leak from the
dishwasher hookup that had beendripping for months.
Had they waited much longer, itcould have led to major water
damage, mold growth and evenrotting floors.
But instead, because theycaught it early, it was a quick
and inexpensive fix.
This is why paying attention tosmall things really matters.

(04:38):
If something feels off, don'tignore it.
Some maintenance tasks areseasonal, so it's a good idea to
adjust your routine throughoutthe year.
In the spring, check your roofand gutters for any damage from
winter storms.
Inspect for pests, because thisis when they start looking for
new places to settle.
In the fall, clear out thosegutters again before the rainy

(04:59):
season hits and test the heaterearly Better to find out
something's wrong before thecold weather arrives.
And in the winter time, if yourADU isn't being used full-time,
set the thermostat to a stabletemperature to prevent moisture
buildup.
And make sure any exposed pipesare insulated to avoid freezing
.
So to wrap this up, here's whatI want you to take away from
today's episode.
A little maintenance goes along way.

(05:20):
Small, consistent effortsprevent expensive repairs.
Catching issues early can savethousands of dollars.
Paying attention to plumbing,hvac, electrical systems and
anything that seems off to you,seasonal check-ins make
maintenance easier.
A little effort in the spring,summer, fall and winter can
prevent a lot of headaches later.
And if this sounds all toooverwhelming to you, don't worry

(05:43):
, the goal isn't to be perfect,it's just to stay aware.
The more you pay attention, theless likely you'll be dealing
with a major repair down theroad.
And before we go, let me teaseour next episode.
We'll be diving into somethingreally exciting Emerging trends
in ADU design and technology,what's changing in the world of
ADUs, how are cities making themmore accessible, and what smart

(06:04):
home technology can make an ADUeven more efficient.
We'll cover all that and alittle bit more so don't miss it
.
And if today's episode got youthinking about an ADU's
long-term care or maybe gettingstarted on an ADU project,
actonadu is here to help.
Just visit actonaducom slashpodcast or give usa call at
408-369-1103 for a freeconsultation.

(06:25):
Thanks for listening and goodluck on your ADU journey.