As a homeowner, you want to keep your home in tip-top shape—and that requires a certain level of upkeep.

But not all maintenance efforts are created equal—and some of your efforts can actually make problems worse instead of better.

In a recent article on Apartment Therapy, a panel of home inspectors shared the maintenance mistakes most homeowners make in an effort to fix their home, including:

• Painting over water damage

• Not changing the HVAC filter

• Overlooking small cracks in the foundation

• Improperly-installed air conditioning units

• Lazy weatherstripping