10 Simple Home Maintenance Tips for the Spring and Summer
Spring and summertime is always a welcome sight after a long, cold winter. It brings with it longer days, sunshine, and outdoor activities. It also is a great opportunity to get around to your home maintenance in order to have your home well organized and running smoothly.
Take a look at these 10 home maintenance tips you can use in your own home:
Clean the Gutters and Downspouts
Springtime and summer tend to be rainier than at other times of the year. While this can do wonders for your yard, it isn’t so great for your home. If your gutters are not able to drain properly, they can cause water damage to your foundation or other parts of your home. Clean all debris from the gutters and downspouts and make sure that you position your downspouts away from the foundation of your home. If you don’t have a rain barrel or a gutter system, you should consider having this corrected to make sure that the rain off your roof is properly directed away from your home.
Replace Your HVAC Filter
This is something that you should be regularly doing, not just in the spring and summer. Many people suggest replacing your HVAC system’s filter every four to six weeks. By completing this maintenance task consistently, you can substantially prolong the life of your unit and help your HVAC unit run efficiently.
Seal Your Driveway
Sealing your driveway can help extend its life and significantly improve its appearance. You may even want to consider staining your driveway to give it a whole new, updated look.
Vacuum Behind the Refrigerator
A refrigerator is generally one of the most expensive appliances in your home. However, by performing some simple, preventive maintenance, you can significantly prolong its lifespan. Look at the owner’s manual for your refrigerator to learn how you can take care of the unit properly. Pull it out from the wall at least once every year to vacuum behind it. If you have pets, it’s generally a good idea to perform this task at least twice a year.
Service Your Air Conditioner
The spring and summer is the perfect time to have your air conditioning unit serviced. Chances are your AC will be running much harder during the hot summer months, so having the coils cleaned and the outside unit of your air conditioning system serviced will keep it operating at peak performance levels. It’s best to have this service completed one month prior to the time temperatures start to rise. This will help prolong the lifespan of the unit and also reduce the likelihood that your AC will break down on you when it’s 90 degrees and humid outside.
Clean Your Siding
Take a quick walk around your home and evaluate the appearance of your siding, as it can form a green algae film in spots where there is less sunlight hitting the home. Depending on how much of your siding is affected, this can usually be cleaned easily with a garden hose and a bit of detergent.
Inspect the Roof
Your roof is your home’s primary defense against the elements, and since more storms tend to go through in the summer and spring, it’s important to take the time to inspect your roof for signs of warping, cracking, and loose shingles or tiles. Examine flashing around vents, skylights, and chimneys and replace any damaged covering and flashing. You may be able to inspect your roof from the ground. However, if your roof is too high for you to inspect yourself, you may want to hire a licensed roofer to perform the inspection and make any necessary repairs.
Check Outside Faucets
Another simple, yet essential home maintenance task is to check your outside hose faucets for freeze damage. Turn the water on and place your finger over the opening. If you can stop the water from flowing, there’s a strong likelihood that the pipe inside your home is damaged.
Check Power Equipment
Spring is the perfect time to pull out your gas- and battery-powered lawn equipment to make sure that it’s ready for you to use over the summer. Fill the tanks up with gas and charge the batteries. You may also want to consider sharpening cutting blades to make the yard work easier.
Check Seals Around Windows and Doors
Cold weather can loosen, harden, and crack the seals around your windows and doors. Examine those areas for damage and determine whether you need to re-calk around the windows. This is a relatively simple repair that can help to improve the cost of cooling your home over the summer and keep water out of your house. If it has been a long time since you completed this home maintenance task, now is a good time to do so.
Frequently Ask Questions About Home Maintenance
Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions that homeowners have about maintenance:
Why is home maintenance important?
Preventive home maintenance saves you money as a homeowner by helping you avoid what could potentially be costly repairs. It also helps you to keep your home running efficiently. Many home warranties will not cover repairs if homeowners do not complete maintenance. Therefore, by keeping your home in good working condition, you increase the likelihood that your home warranty will repair or replace a system if it does fail.
How much should you budget for home maintenance?
A good rule to follow is budgeting between 1-3% of your home’s purchase price every year. If you’re thinking about doing any kind of renovation, it’s best to budget at least 3%. So there you have it, 10 simple home maintenance tips along with a couple of the most frequently asked questions about getting your home ready for the spring and summer. Are there any other maintenance tips that you believe we should add to our list? If you do, drop us a line. If you’re in the Chicago area and have any plumbing maintenance tasks on your to-do list for spring or summer, let us know what we can do to help!