Summer Home Maintenance - To Do’s
August 13, 2021
Summer is a great time to work on those home maintenance projects! I’ve compiled a list of To Do’s for the exterior of your home!
- Power wash your driveway & sidewalks – After ensuring weeds are removed from any cracks, use a pressure washer to give your area a good cleaning to wash all the dirt, grime and mold that’s built up over the past year. If you don’t own a pressure washer, a local home improvement store typically has them for rent, fairly inexpensively.
- Clean Downspouts & Gutters - This is one of the most important things to do to prevent them from clogging. Clogged gutters can lead to pooling on your roof, siding or getting inside your home which could be costly to repair.
- Wash Windows and Replace Screens – Washing only windows won’t make a huge difference if the screens aren’t cleaned as well. Remove your screens and gently scrub with soapy hot water. While you are cleaning the windows check to make sure they seal tightly and are functioning properly.
- Give your deck the once-over – Check your boards to see if any are rotting or have lifted to ensure you don’t have any trip hazards. Replace any that are needed. Pour water on your deck and if it sinks into the wood, it is likely time to reseal your deck.
- Tune-up your lawnmower - When the gas tank is empty, disconnect the spark plug, use a hose to spray away any clippings in the deck and blade, clean the air filter & spark plug.
- Inspect your basement and attic – Turn off the lights to check for any sign of light coming through. If so, make sure to get these areas patched up to ensure you are not letting any pests, or insects inside your home.
- Replace air filter in your furnace – To ensure the furnace filter is working properly and filtering out the dust, pollen and other airborne particles change these seasonally.
- Test alarms in your home – Simply press the test buttons on your smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm to ensure they are working properly. If you don’t hear anything, put new batteries again and test again.
- Dryer vents – It is a good idea to use your vacuum to clean out any possible clogged lint in your dryer vents and inspect ductwork as well as clean the external dryer vent.
- Keep your trees in check- If you have trees on your property it is a good idea to remove any overgrown or low hanging branches to prevent any from falling off during a storm and creating a even bigger problem down the road.
