This month's May home maintenance is about the things you open, close and seal: windows, doors, and the grout and silicone that keep water out of your walls. It takes about an hour and follows the May page of your printed calendar, in the same order.
C18 - 6 Month Maintenance Checklist
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Last updated 10 Oct 2026 · Revision 2 · Free updates for life
Checklist Type: Minor
Form Factor: Fillable, print-ready PDF (A4, 19 pages) with a maintenance calendar and log
When to use: After handover: your first six months and ongoing home maintenance
A 110-point home maintenance checklist with a calendar and log. Plan preventative maintenance, find small problems early and keep your warranties in good order.
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This month's checks
1Check your windows open, close and lock
A window that won't lock is a security gap, and worn seals let in rain and draughts.
- Open and close every window fully.
- Lock and unlock each one, including any key locks.
- With a torch, look along the rubber seals and the glazing edge.
Sashes that bind, locks that won't engage, split seals, water marks on the sill or a cracked pane.
If the glass is cracked (a glazier) or the frame leaks in rain (your builder in the defects period, or a window installer after that).
The QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide (section 9.7) treats windows and doors that bind or jam from poor workmanship as defects in the first 12 months. Section 9.2 covers frames that let water into rooms.
2Tighten loose handles and hinges, and adjust door strikers
Loose screws wear the holes bigger, and a door that doesn't latch rattles and can't be locked.
- Grip each handle and hinge and feel for movement.
- Tighten any loose screws with the right screwdriver. Don't over-tighten.
- Close each door slowly and watch the latch meet the striker plate.
- If it misses, loosen the striker screws, move the plate slightly and retighten.
An uneven gap around the door, a door that has to be slammed, or screws that keep working loose.
If the door has dropped or twisted, or the frame has moved. Tell your builder in writing during the defects period.
In the QBCC Guide, handles, locks and latches that don't work as the maker intended are defects in the first 12 months (9.3). Gaps between an internal door and its frame should generally sit between 2 mm and 4 mm (9.4).
3Check your door stops are firm
Without a working stop, door handles punch holes in plasterboard.
- Open each door fully, gently.
- Check the stop meets the door before the handle reaches the wall.
- Twist screw-in stops back in by hand if they're loose.
Dents or holes behind a handle, or stops that spin.
If there's a hole in the plasterboard. A plasterer and painter can patch it.
4Check the grout in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry
Cracked or missing grout lets water sit under the tiles and gives mould a foothold.
- Hold a torch low across the tiles.
- Run a fingernail along the joints in the shower and around floor wastes.
- Tap any tile that looks raised. A hollow sound can mean it's lifting.
Cracks, crumbling or missing grout, dark staining that won't clean off, or loose and drummy tiles.
If tiles are loose or cracked, or grout keeps cracking in the same place. A tiler can regrout, and my regrouting guide explains what's involved.
The QBCC Guide (12.5) says grout must be installed to AS 3958.1, and grout that comes loose or has voids is a defect in the first 12 months.
5Check the silicone around showers, baths and benchtops
Split silicone lets water behind tiles, and that's how the number one building defect starts.
- Look along every joint: shower corners and base, the bath edge, basins and the benchtop splashback.
- Press gently with a fingertip. It should be soft, firm and stuck to both sides.
Gaps, splits, peeling edges, or black mould under the surface. Mould that won't wipe off means the silicone needs replacing.
If you see water stains, swollen skirting boards or a musty smell outside the shower. That points to a membrane leak, so call your builder or a waterproofer. Waterproofing done right explains why.
Wet-area waterproofing must meet the NCC and AS 3740 (QBCC Guide 14.1). Flexible sealants at junctions must follow the NCC, AS 3958.1 and the maker's requirements (12.6).
6Clean the sliding door tracks and fly screens
Grit in the tracks wears the rollers and blocks the drainage holes, so rain can back up inside.
- Slide the door and screen fully open.
- Vacuum the track, then wipe it with a damp cloth.
- Clear the small drainage slots on the outside edge.
- Brush or vacuum the fly screens and look for tears.
A door that grinds or jumps the track, water lying in the sill, or torn mesh.
If a roller is broken or the door won't sit straight: a window and door repairer.
The QBCC Guide (9.2) treats doors that let water into rooms in weather the NCC anticipates as defective.
7Check your heaters and flues before the cooler months
A heater that's sat idle all summer can hide dust, damage or a blocked flue, and a blocked gas flue is a carbon monoxide risk.
- Find each heater's manual and follow its maintenance list.
- Clean the filters on a reverse-cycle unit, as the maker says.
- For a gas heater, keep the area around it clear and look at the outside flue from the ground. Press the test button on the CO alarm.
- Book a licensed gasfitter service as the manual says (C18 lists it yearly).
A smell of gas, soot marks, a yellow or flickering flame on a gas heater, or a burning smell.
If you smell gas or see any of the above. Turn the heater off and call a licensed gasfitter. Never adjust a gas appliance yourself.
The QBCC Guide (18.1) makes the owner responsible for arranging warranty service on appliances supplied with the house.
Where you live changes the timing
- North (QLD, NT, northern WA and northern NSW). The dry season starts. It's a good time for outside sealing and paint touch-ups.
- South (temperate Australia). Winter is coming. Check that the door and window seals keep the cold and rain out.
Either way, May home maintenance is the same list. Only the weather around it changes.
Every month, as well
- Test every smoke alarm with the test button.
- Clean the air-con filters while you're using it.
- Check wet areas for mould and run the exhaust fans.
- Walk around: note new cracks, leaks, stains or sticking doors.
- Record what you did in your maintenance log.
The short version
May home maintenance keeps your doors, windows and wet-area seals doing their job. The silicone check matters most, because that's where hidden water damage starts. The C18 6 Month Maintenance checklist has every item in detail.
Next month: June home maintenance.
FAQs
What's the most important May home maintenance check?
The silicone, because split joints let water behind tiles. Replace it when it's split, peeling or has mould under the surface.
Is cracked grout a builder's defect?
It can be in the first 12 months. Tell your builder in writing as soon as you see it.
Can I service my own gas heater?
No. Clean around it and check the flue from the ground, but servicing is a job for a licensed gasfitter.
What if I've missed May home maintenance?
Do it next month. The calendar is perpetual, so you can pick up May home maintenance any time.