The Stell library
Home maintenance, explained without panic.
Plain-English guides on the recurring stuff every house needs. What to do, when to do it, and (sometimes more usefully) what to skip.
Getting started
Seasonal
Spring home maintenance checklist
The short list of what to do in spring, why it matters, and what to skip. Mostly about checking what winter did, opening the house back up, and getting ahead of summer.
6 min read
Fall home maintenance checklist
The short list of what to do in fall, why it matters, and what to skip. Mostly about getting the house ready for cold weather and undoing what summer did.
6 min read
A homeowner's cold-weather prep guide
What to do before the first hard freeze, what to do on the day of one, and what to do if a pipe actually freezes. The boring version, with no alarmism.
6 min read
Systems
How often should you change your HVAC air filter?
The short answer is every one to three months. The honest answer depends on your filter, your house, and what's going on in it. Here's how to know.
5 min read
How long do home systems actually last?
A plain-English breakdown of typical lifespans for furnaces, water heaters, roofs, and the rest. Plus the part nobody says: you don't have to replace them on the calendar.
9 min read