Summer is the perfect time to walk around your home and identify home projects. Here are some common maintenance tasks to consider during the warm summer months.
Exterior Maintenance
Drainage
It is important that water is directed away from your home and does not pool near the foundation. When working on landscaping projects, be sure to add or remove soil and mulch to achieve the proper grade around your home if needed. You’ll also want to make sure that all new construction, such as decks or major revamps to landscaping, maintains the proper grade.
Masonry
Check the stone on your home periodically for loose material and cracked or crumbling mortar to avoid water intrusion. If you find areas needing attention, apply fresh mortar to them.
Exterior Wood
Inspect your exterior wood for cracked or peeling finish or fading stain. The sun and elements can damage the internal structure of your wood finishes if not properly maintained. Front doors, unpainted siding or siding accents, decks, and fencing are common wood finishes to consider around your home.
You can maintain your home’s exterior finish by periodically caulking and painting between the windows and window trim as well as corner boards. You’ll also want to maintain a 6-inch clearance between the siding and the finished soil grade of your home. Shrubs and trees should not touch the house and should be pruned seasonally.
Thermal & Moisture Protection
As discussed above, seal around windows and trim to avoid water intrusion annually.
Roofing
Have your roof inspected annually for debris, moss, and material performance. Never power wash your roofing shingles, doing so will shorten the life of your roof and will void your material warranty.
Gutters & Downspouts
Periodically clean your roof valleys, gutters, and downspouts to maintain proper water flow away from your home.
Siding
Inspect your siding for cracked or failing caulking, especially around the doors, windows, and corners. Cut out failed caulking and apply a new bead. Paint any areas that are thin or faded, including refreshed caulking. Check that vents exhausting to the outside of the home are in proper working order and unobstructed. Clean lint from the dryer exhaust and consider cleaning the dryer ducting.
Pests
Look at the vents in the foundation and eves of the home and ensure there are no holes big enough to allow rodents or birds into the crawl space or attic. Seal with caulking or foam if needed. Look for and remove wasp nests. Ensure that soil and other ground coverings maintain 4-6 inches of clearance from the bottom of your siding to discourage insects. Consider having a pest control company treat your home quarterly.
Irrigation
Turn on your sprinkler system, check your irrigation sprinklers, and adjust watering times. Adjusting watering times throughout the summer may be necessary to keep your plants healthy.
Interior Maintenance
Summer focuses our attention on the outdoors and enjoying the spaces around our homes, but here are some indoor maintenance tasks to consider to keep the inside of your home comfortable.
Finish Interior Carpentry
Periodic caulking of seams between baseboards and walls, door casings, window trim, and windows is necessary as your home settles year to year.
Doors & Windows
Clean your doors, windows, and screens thoroughly, and give the tracks a deep clean to remove debris. Add lubricant spray to keep your sliding doors and windows sliding smoothly. You’ll also want to take this opportunity to check the weather stripping and repair or replace it around your exterior doors if necessary.
Garage Overhead Doors
Lubricate the wheels and track and consult the operating manual for detailed instructions.
Cooling Coils
Appliances like your refrigerator, freezer, and heat pumps use cooling coils to function properly. Clean these coils by dusting them off or hosing them off in the case of your heat pump to help them run more efficiently.
Ceramic or Marble Tile
Regrout cracks between tiles and solid surface countertops after the initial builder courtesy walkthrough at 11 mos.
Flooring
Install and maintain protective furniture pads to avoid damaging your floor surfaces. For cleaning specifications, please refer to your maintenance guide from Cascade Flooring.
Annual Maintenance
Some projects are perfect for any time of the year. Here are some maintenance items we recommend you consider if it’s been more than a year since last completed.
- Service your furnace and heat pump. Change filters every six months.
- Change the batteries in your smoke alarms and test them.
- Get your roof inspected
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