Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of your home maintenance! A few main summertime tasks can save you money, avoid costly problems in the future, and keep your summer fun intact! While the design of these summer home maintenance tips is for seasonal homeowners, they will also help owners with second homes or vacation rentals maintain their investment year after year.
As summer temperatures rise across the country, homeowners across all 50 states perk up their thoughts on home maintenance! Do not wait any longer. Complete this summer house checklist in its entirety before Labor Day rolls around. Enjoy uninterrupted summer fun all season long!
Outdoor Home Maintenance
Satisfy your curiosity in how to keep your outdoor home space impressive! Below are 15 ways that you can choose from:
Power Wash the Driveway & Sidewalks
Three years of summer precipitation can collect significant grime on driveways and sidewalks. Before summer ends, give your outdoor living space a good wash with water pressure!
Using a pressure washer will not damage your concrete and it will help you spot any cracks in the foundation. But remember, when using extreme water pressure, always start from the bottom of the surface to avoid peeling back paint.
The power washing of a driveway and sidewalks not only has the potential to make your house stand out from its surroundings! But also can become one of those tedious tasks that you often overlook when cleaning up around your home.
Clean Gutters & Downspouts
Clean gutters and downspouts are crucial to summer home maintenance. Leaves, grass clippings, insects, and other debris can clog your drainage system. When summer precipitation begins, it can lead to ice dams or foundation leaks. That is when rainwater cannot flow away from your house’s foundation.
Low spots in the yard may also cause water to pool around the base of the foundation. This can lead to high humidity which in turn causes mold growth inside walls and under roofing materials.
Energy efficiency will decrease because air conditioning systems struggle when feeding conditioned air into spaces with high humidity levels. Clean gutters two to three times each summer season.
Washing Windows and Replacing Window Screens
The summer sunlight provides homeowners the opportunity to remove windows and get a good wash. Use soap and hot water for summer home maintenance. Then wipe clean with a squeegee or dry microfiber towel.
When buying new screens, measure your old screen frames. Avoid having to cut down larger screens or trim less than ideal window dimensions. Carefully remove the screens from your window. Wash them outside using a soft-bristled brush and mild dishwashing detergent with warm to hot water. Finish by rinsing with a hose or try vacuuming away all those bugs when that is not possible.
Cleaning a window is not always easy. But following these steps will make it much easier! First of all, climb up onto the ladder and remove any screens from around your house’s windows. So they do not scratch themselves or another person when cleaning below them next time.
Prevent Bug Breeding Grounds
Check the water’s pH level when you have little swimmers in your pool. The normal range is from 7.2 to 7.8 for summer home maintenance. A swimming pool with a low pH level may turn eyes red and irritate the skin. Too much acid in your pool water can cause low alkalinity.
But remember, a high pH level can also cause eye irritation and damage your clothes when splashed into them! So maintain a balanced pool environment for outdoor fun that will last all year long!
A birdbath is a beautiful way to enjoy nature and stay healthy! But it can also attract mosquitoes. To prevent breeding in your backyard pool of water, experts recommend draining the bath weekly or bi-weekly.
This depends on how often you use them. You will also need some bleach tablets. Just mix one capful with enough hot tap water for five minutes before adding more as needed.
Improve Your Yard
Remove trimmings from your lawn and yard in a timely fashion. Yard waste accumulates quickly in the summer! It can cause a variety of issues when left out in the open for too long.
They can attract insects, rodents, snakes, and other pests! These contribute to the spread of weeds from seeds dropping off your trimmings. Likewise, they provide a place for future weed growth that is close to your house. Do this summer home maintenance task after cutting or trimming.
Do not rake them into piles unless you are fine having them spread throughout your yard. This causes more work later on when burned or picked up from their new locations.
Prep Your Grill for Backyard BBQs
Summer home maintenance is not just for your indoor living space. Prepare the grill outside with barbecue cooking. After last summer’s bushfire, inspect and clean any ash remains from barbecues in the past before preparing it again.
Remove any leftover particles from your grate and keep it in good condition to prevent sticking. Brush the grates ideal for a barbecue. It is best with hard metal bristles.
Apply some high heat oils before reassembling to prevent rust. This is after summer home maintenance with the grill. When you are confused, remember to go back over this part. As summer comes along, many homeowners who dread it need to know what summer home maintenance they should do for their homes.
Stage Outdoor Furniture
Remove cushions and clean them thoroughly inside and out with mild dish soap. Let them dry in the sun. You can spot any stains or areas needing more attention before moving on to the next step.
An outdoor home is incomplete without proper summer home maintenance. It is time to get started on sprucing up your backyard summer getaway!
You will find it easier to remove dirt by using a powerful vacuum cleaner attachment.
Dust off patio furniture in the spring and fall to prevent buildup during the summer months when it gets hot outside. You may also wash or scrub them as summer home maintenance before hot weather hits!
Inspect Home Siding
Inspect your home siding for needed repairs and if needed hire a vinyl siding company. Check for any loose slats or spots of peeling paint. Fill in the holes with a matching outdoor caulk before painting over them to prevent water damage from storms.
The two most common dilemmas you will find on wood siding and trim are peeling paint that is an obvious defect, as well as rotted boards.
You can spot rotted wood from a block away due to its appearance in contrast to fresh surfaces. It is also hazardous when the finish contains lead. This may violate local maintenance codes for cities like New York City.
Peeling old coats of lacquer or polyurethane often start small. But eventually, reveal themselves when your window frames expand. These types do not stick tightly anymore. This causes them to curl up at edges under pressure causing cracks down center folding sections into each other. You can see them making lovely star patterns all over again!
Check Fencing and Retaining Walls
Check summer home maintenance fencing and retaining walls for broken or loose connections. Repair them with galvanized nails when you come across any. You can make the process much easier by tackling these smaller issues. This is before they escalate into major problems later on.
Clever homeowners treat summer home maintenance like an annual task. They do this instead of waiting to fix it up when needed. You will find that it is not as difficult as it initially seems at first glance. The main task that you should perform with your fencing and retaining walls is tightening connections.
Use galvanized nails to tighten them up when needed. This is what you can do right before summer hits! There are no major summer home maintenance issues. But you may find it helpful to inspect and maintain these items regularly.
Landscape Maintenance
Keep your landscape looking good in addition to summer home maintenance. Start to trim any overgrowth or branches that might get in danger of blocking a walkway or other area in summertime. Stop back by your fence and put on some fresh coats of paint! It will look fresh and summery. This task is well worth doing.
Fences last a long time when you maintain them as part of your summer home maintenance. You may use the same type of paint that you used previously when it looks good enough to you. This depends on your tastes.
Paint will not only help summer home maintenance of wood fences. But also give your whole summer abode a nice splash of color all over again!
You may purchase high-quality paint at most home improvement stores. Summer is the perfect time to spruce up your place looking for fun!
Wash Down Your Porch
Sweep or hose down your porch and deck to remove any dirt before summer sets in. This is so you can have a nice greeting ready for your friends and family when they come to visit in the summertime!
It is best to use a pressure washer on wood decks in addition to the main house. This summer home maintenance task will force any remaining dirt and grime out! Prepare for a nice duty while you are at it starting clean up. You can start right when it starts to get warm outside.
A high-pressure garden hose or power washer is a fantastic way to spray down your porch with water! It will remove any dirt and debris. For concrete patios, you can scrub it thoroughly before painting for a clean surface. Paint will not peel off easily when dry afterward.
Give Your Deck a Once-Over
You will want to pressure wash or boil clean your deck when summer home maintenance season begins. Do this to remove any mildew and dirt. Use hot water for this task for the best results!
Boiling means immersing the whole thing in water with household cleaning chemicals. It is still more or less the same idea as washing by hand. This summer home maintenance task is ongoing during the season.
There are many tasks that you can do to prepare your abode for summertime fun! You may be surprised how much effort it takes to have a well-maintained home when you get down to summer home maintenance.
Adding a Layer of Mulch
You can add mulch to any flower beds or garden areas. This will help your flowers, grasses, and shrubs get through summertime lushly!
That is when you do not already have it in place yet. Do this right when summer begins so that the ground stays moist underneath. There are summer home maintenance tasks that will help your house look good!
Mulching is a task that benefits your yard. It means covering the soil with a layer of finely ground-up plant matter. Protect it from the heat and keep it in moisture. You can get bark, bark chips, or composted grass clippings from many home improvement stores. This is to get your summer home maintenance process started!
Trim Bushes and Plants
Remove dead trees and trim bushes and your plants before summertime. It will help them survive the heat with optimal health. For safety reasons, you may want to hire a tree service company.
Make sure to prune tall plants back for summertime. You can also remove any damaged or dead branches from shrubs and trees. This summer home maintenance task will produce impressive results for your house! You want to do everything you can manage.
You may also need to fertilize plants and bushes after trimming them. This task is easy! It will make summertime even better than it already is.
Roof & Chimney Inspection
Inspect your home for the summer. You need to clean off any debris from the roof before this season begins. A good summer home maintenance task is to climb onto your rooftop and take a look around. This will help you identify any repairs that may be necessary ahead of time.
It is best to use a sturdy ladder to get onto your rooftop! You must also make sure it is safely secured against the side of your house. That is before climbing up to check it out.
You should look specifically for any loose mortar joints, missing shingles, and rust. This summer home maintenance task will help improve safety around your abode. To be safe, you may want to hire a local chimney company or a roofing specialist.
Indoor Home Maintenance
Gain new insights about how you can maintain your indoor home appearance. Below is a guide on eight ways:
Examine Your Hoses
Before summer begins, you must examine your hoses in the home. This summer home maintenance task is about checking for any leaks or cracks. Do this right when the season starts to avoid many headaches.
You should also get rid of all of your gardening tools after springtime ends. They are no good anymore and they will only get rusty. You may also want to pack away summer clothes. This summer home maintenance task is about being prepared.
Remember to cover any exposed pipes with foam sleeves. That is when a blanket of snow has not already covered them at the time. Otherwise, winter elements will start this summer off with a lot of damage that you cannot manage.
Test Smoke Detectors
You must test all of your smoke detectors once the hot season begins. This summer home maintenance task is about making sure they are working properly. Test them at this time as well as other seasons throughout the year. Check that they function as needed.
Wipe them with a dry cloth before winter sets in for good. Do not let any summer home maintenance tasks interfere with winter preparations. Clean them as part of the process in time for summer to begin!
A smoke alarm is a safety device that you should test at least once every week. But it is best to do this more often than not! The push button test can suffice as well when you like.
Testing an entire unit with one small part could cause problems and lead your family into danger. Experts recommend wearing ear protection when doing any type of loud activity near or around alarms such as testing them.
Clean The Dishwasher and Garbage Disposal
The hot season is a wonderful time to clean your dishwasher and handle garbage disposal! This summer home maintenance task is about getting rid of all the residue that has built up inside of them.
Wash the drawer with soap, water, and baking soda. It will help to remove any grime or food particles left behind from past months. Cleaning your home will help you avoid nasty odors.
Let the summer months also become the time to replace old garbage disposal rings. You can easily use baking soda and vinegar to do this summer home maintenance task yourself. It is an effortless process that only takes a little time.
Washing Machine Maintenance
Do this summer home maintenance task when you want to avoid laundry disasters. You must clean out your washing machine once the warm season begins. It is an easy duty that anyone can accomplish without too much trouble.
You may also want to check your hoses for any wear and tear before the hot season arrives. Replace them as soon as possible when there is damage. This summer home maintenance task will help prevent water from leaking out.
Remember to clean the lint screen before summer begins. You can use a toothbrush or an old paintbrush for this task. Cleaning your washing machine is one of the best summer tips that anyone can follow!
Wipe and Clean Baseboards
You can do this summer home maintenance task every week to avoid many problems. Wipe and clean baseboards around the hot months. This task is about making sure they are free of dirt or dust that accumulates fast in warm weather.
It is summer home maintenance at its best! Wipe baseboards near flooring areas with a dry cloth. A vacuum can help you sweep up any residue left behind after quick cleaning. Keep the hot months clean by completing this task on time.
Clean and Inspect Fans
Clean your fans when you want a healthy hot season! This summer home maintenance task is about making sure they are free of dust and debris.
Keep all types of fans clean with a soft cloth. Make sure to take off the blades first by removing any screws holding them in place. Cleaning fans should usually happen right before the warm season begins. But you can do summer home maintenance tasks whenever you want.
Cleaning fans will help you avoid allergies that develop during warmer months. You will also enjoy your summertime more when your surroundings are free of dirt and dust.
Check Windows and Door Leaks
Check windows and door leaks during summer to avoid dilemmas. Repairing any damage before summer makes it easier to maintain them.
You should also check the weather stripping around windows and doors for dirt or other problems that may affect summer fun! Make sure they are free of debris before this season starts. Otherwise, you could end up spending money on repairs later.
Start with a detailed visual inspection of both the interior and exterior surfaces. Look for areas that have gaps between windows or doors on the outside. A caulking failure reveals this gap inside your home’s siding as well.
Clean Air Vents and Air Ducts
You can do summer home maintenance tasks by cleaning your air vents and air ducts. This tip is about getting rid of dust and other types of debris that accumulate over time.
Doing summer home maintenance tasks like this one at the beginning of the season will help you breathe easier. Poor ventilation leads to many respiratory problems. But you can avoid air quality problems.
Every homeowner should learn how to clean their AC filters. You will change these every few months or so depending on your AC unit’s requirements. You can also look at them when they are dirty and see when it is time for summer home maintenance again.
Prepare Your Home in All Seasons
Preparing your summer home in all seasons is ideal when you want to avoid any issues. Making sure the exterior paint is in good shape during warmer months keeps it lasting longer. You can also find summer problems that may arise with an inspection before this season arrives.
Remember to consult Above All Masonry on how you can do excellent summer home maintenance! They are just waiting for your call.
