Is the pollen gone yet? We sure hope so! In Atlanta we seem to go from pollen to heat in such a short time. Summer is a great time to start focusing on the exterior of your home as well as the lawn and garden. Here is a Summer Maintenance Checklist that will prolong the life of your house.
- Check grout in bathrooms, kitchen, etc. Repair as needed. It sure will make the tile look better!
- Inspect your plumbing for leaks, and clean the vents in the faucets…that will help with water pressure. Just go around to all your sinks and toilets and see if there are any leaks.
- Did you see an insect? Take care of that nuisance!! Insects in summer go hand in hand! Wipe away those cobwebs, keep ant poison handy and make sure all your doors are tightly closed!
- The deck and patio are where we spend so much time over the summer! This definitely needs to be maintained by cleaning and possibly re-staining. Check to see if there are any loose boards or posts that need to be repaired.
- Time to see the light of day! Clean your windows inside and out and also the window wells. While you are at it, see if there are any cracks in the seals and then you can recaulk to make your home more energy efficient.
- Don’t forget to clean out your gutters and downspouts! The wind and rain from all those April showers can sure leave a lot of unwanted deposits there.
- Check and clean your dryer vent and any other exhaust vents. Have the dryer on and go outside to see if the vent smells nicely – that’s a good sign it’s not clogged! If you don’t periodically clean them out, there’s a chance for blockages which can lead to a fire.
- If you have outdoor play equipment, time to tighten, re-stain, paint or reseal!
- Just like play equipment, fencing should be checked for the same things.
- How about making space in that garage? Time to clean and tidy up. Keeping up with it will only extend the life of the garage. It does sound like a daunting task, but think about how cathartic it would feel throwing out all that old and useless stuff?!
- Check your furnace filter and your air conditioner fan filter. A furnace filter is easy to replace but for the air conditioner fan filter you might need to youtube.
This isn’t too bad of a checklist, right? Share the responsibilities with others in your family and it will go so much faster. Might feel daunting at first, but as soon as it’s done you will feel so accomplished.
Enjoy the summer!!
