Home Maintenance Series: Summer

Wondering what maintenance needs to be done on your home in the summer? Our best tip is to enjoy your space this season, inside and out, and only tackle the projects that absolutely need to be done! The list below is a great place to start.

Inside of Your Home

You’ve likely already done a deep spring clean. So these tasks are more about dealing with heat, pests, and other summer concerns.

Prepare your home for extreme heat:

Check and clean the filters on your air conditioning, whether window-style or a central unit, at least once per month.
Check the weather stripping around your windows and doors to keep air conditioning in.
Close curtains in high sun areas in the morning and afternoon.
Switch your ceiling fans counter-clockwise to create a nice, downward breeze in your home.

For storms, fires, and other emergencies:

Prepare a disaster supply kit with water, shelf-stable food, batteries, flashlights, a radio, a first-aid kit, etc., for storms and power outages.
Create and review your family safety place (fire escape routes, calling family members for help, calling 911, etc.).

Pests are not only a winter problem. Ants, bees, and termites love to come into our homes during the summer, and it’s a great time to deal with the mice that snuck in during the winter months, too:

Seel all holes where pests could get in.
Call a pest control service for a one-time treatment for bugs.
Set up a monthly plan if you have a larger concern such as rodents.
Check your attic to ensure birds, bats, or raccoons haven’t moved in.

Look forward to future projects. Contractors are busy, and summer is a great time to secure your spot on their schedule for fall and winter work.

On Your Property

Outside, regular lawn care is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time. Summer is also a great time to paint the porch, or the entire exterior of your home, however.

Mow your grass weekly on the highest setting to prevent it from being cut too short and drying out.
Pull weeds from the lawn and garden beds weekly.
Give your plants a good soak with the house a few times a week instead of drizzling them every day. Morning is the best time to water as well.
If you have a sprinkler system for watering, check the timer accuracy, check for clogs, and make sure no foliage is blocking their spray. Also look out for low pressure, which could mean it’s time to call a plumber to look at the pipes.

If you have a pool, regular maintenance includes:

Scrub the sides of the pool once or twice per month.
Empty the filter basket and check chemical levels weekly.
Watch the water level and skim debris from the surface as often as possible.

And that’s a wrap! After you’ve completed the bare essentials this summer, simply sit back and enjoy the season. You’ll have plenty more projects to tackle when fall rolls around.