There’s nothing much sweeter than putting your feet up after a full day of summer home maintenance chores: maybe you slide in the the hammock with a tart glass of cold lemonade and take a power nap with the peaceful knowledge that your home is in good shape for the next few months…
Don’t shoot the messenger. It’s that time again: seasonal home maintenance. Just when you thought you had checked everything off the list from spring, summer hits and you have to start all over again.
Before you get too down-in-the-mouth, remember that maintaining your home is the best investment you can make to protect your investment. A little sweat equity goes a long way in helping your home retain value and in keeping up the value of your entire neighborhood. Chances are, if your neighbors see you working hard on your own home, they are more likely to put forth effort in maintaining their home. And then, everybody wins!
As you do every quarter…
- Thoroughly clean the following:
- trash bins,
- sink drains,
- dishwasher screen.
- Check air filters.
- Look for leaks around plumbing.
- Inspect grout and caulking in tiled areas and around windows.
- Test the following equipment:
- smoke and CO detectors.
- GFCI outlets in kitchen and baths
- Take a good look around the outside of your home.
Specifically in summer…
Reverse Ceiling fans (counter clockwise): This will create more energy efficiency in your home by pushing cool air down to the floor. The cooler air will evaporate perspiration and create a little breeze effect that will make you feel cooler without affecting the room temperature. This will make things easier on your hard working AC system.
Inspect foundation for drainage problems
Lubricate garage door mechanism and hinges
Clean stove exhaust fan filter: by the nature of their job, these filters can get extremely greasy. The greasier it gets, the less effective it is. Here are some excellent instructions on how to best clean your stove exhaust fan filter.
Seal aggregate driveways and walks: To extend the appearance and performance of your exposed aggregate surfaces, you must properly apply a sealer, and the hot, dry days of summer are the perfect time to do this. How often you seal your aggregate depends on what sealer you use and the amount of extreme conditions it is exposed to. You can either hire this out to someone who does it regularly and professionally, or it is totally a DIY project if you have the time and energy. Either way, the aggregate will need to be properly cleaned and dried out before the sealer is applied, so allow for a few days for the entire process to play out.
Check all plumbing fixtures for leaks
Go into crawl space and check for leaks/standing water: Crawl spaces are ideally dry. If you do find standing water/moisture, your F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR® can refer you to a local trusted professional to assess the issue and make recommendations on how to fix it.
Inspect for pest problems including termites, rodents, woods bees, ants: If you don’t know what you are looking for, consider a contract with any of our excellent local pest control companies.
Maintain landscaping on a weekly basis: mow the grass, trim, pull all the weeds, water flowers and vegetables…and this year, sweep up cicada carcasses
And, if you haven’t already gotten your AC serviced (which was on our spring checklist, but we had such a mild spring so it was easy to forget about) DO IT NOW. Regular servicing of AC units extends their lifespan and saves your money, and saves the planet.
As always, call your F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR® if you need any recommendations of professionals you might use to help you with this list. There is nothing wrong with asking for a little help and our agents know how to point you in the right direction so you can get into that hammock faster and rest easier.
