As we settle into summertime, the temperatures are continuing to rise, and we are anticipating the summer holidays and some much-needed rest and relaxation. During these warmer months, it’s important to remember that this season offers many opportunities to maintain and care for your home.
You don’t want to wait until the cold of winter sets in to realize your roof needs repairs or to try to clean your eavestroughs when they’re frozen solid. The health of your home depends on some essential maintenance practices, and the summertime is the perfect time to tick a few of them off your list. By completing these maintenance tasks regularly, you greatly reduce the odds that you’ll have expensive and stressful issues occurring in your home. Read on for our list of the most important summer home maintenance tasks to tackle over the next couple of months.
Check Out the Windows
Windows that are damaged or improperly maintained can cause significant issues in your home to arise, such as poor insulation or water damage. Take some time to inspect both the inside and outside of each window in your home, looking for any cracks in the frames, holes in the screens, or faulty opening/closing mechanisms.
Check out the Exterior
Take a walk around your home and simply inspect the exterior elements. Examine the siding or brick of your home looking for signs of damage. This is also a great opportunity to power wash or hose down the exterior surfaces of your home.
Inspect and Clean your Fans
During the summer months, fans get a lot of use. Before you fire them up, take some time to clean the blades, which may have collected lots of dust while not in use. This is also an excellent time to make sure they are functioning properly and efficiently.
Inspect and Clean your Air Conditioner and Ducts
Whether you have central air, window a/c units, or a portable air conditioner, these machines also require some routine maintenance to ensure they can effectively cool your home. This includes inspection of the unit for signs of damage, cleaning the vents and ducts, and changing out the filters for new ones.
Check your Outside Space
Take a walk around your property and examine your outdoor space for anything that may be damaged or need to be cleaned. Power Washing your driveway, sidewalk, and deck/patio is an immensely satisfying task! It’s always fun and surprising to see the “true” colour of things after a good power wash.
Inspect the Grading Around your Home
The grading around your home refers to the level of the ground and determines how and where water will flow. The grading around your home should always be ‘positive’ which means it should slope away from your home. Sometimes heavy snow and extreme weather over the colder months can result in damage or changes to the grading of your home. Inspect the ground around your house, looking for large cracks or general changes in the level or slope.
Check Your Gutters
The warmer months are an ideal time to clean out your gutters and downspouts. Allowing rainwater to run freely off and away from your home is paramount to its health. Ensuring that these elements are free and clear will go a long way towards protecting your roof, and avoiding water damage indoors.
Summer home maintenance is vitally important and should not be neglected, even though we love to spend our summers enjoying some relaxation and much-needed vacations. Taking the time to complete the maintenance tasks listed above can go a long way toward ensuring that your home remains healthy and in great condition. In many cases, the homeowners who don’t prioritize these summer home maintenance tasks often end up costing themselves more money over time, because neglected home maintenance can result in some very costly repairs. At Building Insights, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of service and experience when it comes to helping you maintain the condition of your home. We can help you with home maintenance over the summer months and work together to avoid major repair costs down the road. Contact us for your free quote today!
WHY BUILDING INSIGHTS?