Summertime Home Maintenance Tips

Summer is the right moment to book that annual vacation you have been eyeing for the longest time. It also lets you get outside and interact with your neighbors or friends.
However, for homeowners, summer comes with home maintenance tasks, especially after a few months of staying indoors during the winter.

So, how do you ensure everything in your home runs smoothly during the sunny days of the year?
Before organizing that barbecue or attending a beach party, here are a few tasks you should prioritize to keep your home safe and in shape.

1. Power-Wash Your Home's Exterior
As the temperatures rise, you must spend more time outside your house relaxing in the backyard. That means you must keep your home's exterior clean and safe, improving its curb appeal. Therefore, pressure washing the exterior walls, windows, driveway, and sidewalks. Power washing removes all the dirt, grime, and mildew accumulating during the rainy season. It also removes the peeling paint, which allows you to add a new coat of paint to your exterior walls. However, inspecting your home's exterior thoroughly is vital to knowing the right equipment and time to power-wash.

2. Clean The Gutters, Window Screens, And Outdoor Furniture
Power-washing your home's exterior will not make much difference if you don't clean the window screens, gutters, and outdoor furniture. However, a pressure washer can damage these home elements, leading to expensive replacement and repair costs. Therefore, the most recommended and eco-friendly option is to soft-wash them. You can also modify the nozzle of your pressure washer to a lower pressure per square inch (PSI). Start by removing debris accumulating on gutters and downspouts and using a hose to flush out all the dirt that may block water flow. You can gently remove window screens and scrub them with hot, soapy water. Don't forget to clean your outdoor furniture and keep them ready for your visitors. You can now finish by checking all the cracks and holes around your home and repair them quickly.

3. Check Your Air Conditioner
Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) are among the systems that will work overtime during the summertime to keep your home comfortable. That means you must check the system to
ensure everything runs smoothly before the warm days kick in. Therefore, ensure you switch out disposable filters that collect gunk regularly.
Moreover, occasionally check and clean the condenser unit to prevent mold, mildew, and performance issues. You should also drain the pan below the condenser unit and clean all the lines to allow them to pull more water from the air. You can check and clean the air conditioner yourself or hire an HVAC technician to address all the issues that may become major performance problems.

4. Fix Or Replace Exterior Doors

You will experience more movements in and outside your home during the summer. These movements can lead to the wearing and tearing of your exterior doors. Therefore, while this is often expected during the summertime, fixing or replacing them can enhance their lifespan and
functionality. You can fix door hinges yourself to make the door easier to open and close. You can also replace old and worn-out doors with new ones to enhance the security of your home. However, hiring professionals to install new doors or make major fixes is recommended. Although this can be costly depending on the door models you install, it ensures the doors are installed properly to prevent frequent repairs.

5. Take Pest Control Measures
Summer may come with more heat and sunshine, but it is also ideal for pets to breed in your home and yard. Therefore, it is vital to take control measures to prevent pests from attacking your home.

Some of the DIY pest control measures include:

· Identifying and closing all potential entry points in your home, including cracks, holes, windows, vents, and chimneys.
· Setting traps in and around your home.
· Sealing food and storing it properly.
· Trimming grass and overgrown plants around your home.
· Spraying pest control products. You can contact pest and disease control companies to spray your home.

6. Clean And Reverse Your Ceiling Fan
Most homeowners must remember to inspect and reverse their ceiling fans during the summertime. For instance, a ceiling fan should run anti-clockwise in summer to force more air downwards. This creates a cooling effect in the house, unlike during the cold seasons when ceiling fans run clockwise.

Therefore, inspecting and cleaning your ceiling fan is vital to ensure it rotates in the right direction during summer. It would help if you also washed all the fan blades to remove all dust and ensure the fan runs smoothly. You don't need to hire a professional to do the work since you can flip the fan's motor housing switch to change the direction.

The Bottom Line
Even though summer is a typical time for outdoor relaxation, it is also the right time to tick minor home maintenance issues off your checklist. Overlooking these simple fixes can go a long way in costing more money to repair your home. Therefore, if you plan to sell your home or keep it
healthy during summer, ensure you complete the above tasks. However,
customize your home maintenance checklist based on specific home issues.