Summer House Maintenance Tips for Longevity
Proactive maintenance in the summer can prevent energy inefficiency, safety risks, and costly repairs down the line – not to mention create a more comfortable home year-round.
Resealing windows and doors helps stop heat from escaping or cold air from entering. Also, replacing weather stripping can enhance energy efficiency.
1. Inspect the Roof
As part of your home maintenance routine this summer, inspecting your roof should be one of your highest priorities. Doing so can prevent expensive and inconvenient repairs down the line while protecting your investment and increasing comfort levels in your home.
If there are issues requiring immediate attention, it’s wise to contact a professional. They will quickly be able to diagnose issues and make repairs.
Other key roof inspection tasks include clearing gutters of debris and repairing loose shingles. Furthermore, inspecting your home’s grading is crucial as improper grading may allow water to seep towards your foundation, leading to structural damage and increasing leakage rates.
As part of your energy efficiency efforts, it is wise to reseal windows and doors regularly in order to maintain cooler air inside while hot air remains outside – this will reduce energy costs as well. Also ensure your ceiling fan blades spin in an anticlockwise direction to create a cool breeze throughout your house.
2. Inspect the Gutters
Home gutters provide crucial protection from falling branches and water leaks, and play an essential role in keeping excess soil away from pooling around a house’s foundation.
Erin Heger and her husband purchased a two-story home surrounded by trees. While they adored its natural beauty in their yard, homeownership proved less than ideal when an unexpected summer storm sent torrents of water pouring from their roof and into their basement, flooding it completely.
To avoid costly repairs and other hassles, homeowners should regularly inspect and clean their gutters – including clearing away leaves, twigs and dirt that has collected. Furthermore, it’s essential that gutter slopes are adequate and downspouts direct water away from foundation of house.
Homeowners should also inspect their attics and basements regularly to make sure that they are adequately insulated, free from mold growth, and free from energy efficiency saboteurs like HVAC systems that cause mold spores to form in damp spaces like crawlspaces. A quick test could include running water through their downspouts – if it doesn’t drain quickly into drainpipes then additional insulation or replacement of damaged sections may be needed to improve comfort levels and energy savings.
3. Inspect the Windows
Routine maintenance on your windows can make a big difference. By performing regular inspections and making timely repairs, regular inspections and timely repairs can reduce inefficiencies that drive up energy costs, shorten their lifespan, or cause moisture damage.
Start with a visual inspection: dust or vacuum the frames, sashes and tracks while cleaning screens using an appropriate cleaning solution for tints or coatings.
Assign leakage (condensation between glass panes, water stains on walls or sills and mould growth) as well as gaps in caulking and weather stripping to a moisture meter for accurate detection of hidden problems that otherwise go undetected. It’s also an opportunity to touch up exterior paint in high-visibility areas like trim and shutters before it gets worse!
4. Inspect the Doors
Doors provide security and air flow regulation, so make sure they’re functioning efficiently by regularly checking their hardware for looseness or damage. To make sure they keep doing their job well.
Clean the door frame and threshold with a mild cleaning solution to avoid harsh or abrasive chemicals that could damage or etch its paint finish. Check hinges, latches, locks for signs of rust or corrosion before applying lubricant to ensure smooth operation and avoid squeaks.
Verify weather stripping for signs of cracking, brittleness or compression before replacing as necessary to preserve energy efficiency and prevent moisture intrusion.
Keep an eye out for dust accumulation on the fridge coils at the back, which can reduce their efficiency and lead to higher electric bills. Checking attic insulation for gaps or loose spots that allow heat into your home may require your AC to work harder; an effective way of detecting such issues, according to DiClerico, would be smelling for musty smells; if one occurs then that could indicate insulation issues that need addressing immediately.
5. Inspect the Electrical System
No matter how you use your summer house – be it poolside lounging, backyard barbecues or simply as an escape – taking care to perform basic home maintenance can save money in repairs while keeping it in top shape for years to come. Completing some end-of-summer chores can protect a homeowner’s property value while increasing energy efficiency and decreasing risks related to safety hazards or unwelcome breakdowns down the line.
Visual inspection of an electrical panel box can easily reveal wear and tear that could reduce its longevity, such as worn circuit breakers. Any that show signs of damage should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid power outages or similar problems from occurring.
Homeowners should also clean refrigerator coils regularly in order to reduce energy bills and ensure proper functioning, and change out air filters regularly to improve indoor air quality. Although taking care of maintenance issues now might seem time consuming and counterintuitive for enjoying summer fun, taking proactive measures now could save months down the line from major headaches such as leaky basements.
6. Inspect the Plumbing System
Maintaining both indoor and outdoor spaces throughout summer requires routine maintenance; getting started now on this work could save you from needing unexpected repairs later.
Leaky faucets and fixtures, even minor drips, can waste water and lead to costly water damage if left unchecked. Inspecting visible pipes for signs of leakage in order to minimize water costs while prolonging home longevity.
Professional plumbing inspections offer an in-depth evaluation of an entire plumbing system, taking a comprehensive view from visible and concealed components alike. Inspecting for leaks, corrosion and clogs is vital in catching potential problems before they become bigger issues later. Furthermore, homeowners may save treated water through slow leak detection in hard-to-see locations like behind drywall or under floors – helping reduce municipal water costs and utility bills respectively while saving treated water through slow leak detection helps save treated water for home use and reduce municipal water costs as a result of reduced utility bills; testing for water quality can identify contaminants so ensure their home uses only safe, healthy water supply sources.
7. Inspect the HVAC System
Include this task on a homeowner maintenance checklist before summer starts to reduce unnecessary energy waste and potential health hazards that could surface due to heatwave conditions. Furthermore, doing this ensures a fully operational HVAC system for when cooling is most required during this season.
Keep cool air inside while hot air outside by inspecting for air leaks around your outdoor unit and monitoring fins to see if they’re bent or dirty, which can restrict airflow and increase energy use. Use a fin comb to clean and straighten them before applying a light coating of oil to the casing and refrigerant lines of the unit for extra insulation and added efficiency.
Removing allergens from indoor air by inspecting and replacing filters when necessary is key to maintaining good indoor air quality. Vacuuming ductwork and vents regularly is also recommended to remove debris that could hinder or diminish airflow during summer. If uneven airflow persists after cleaning filters and inspecting ducts, professional HVAC inspection may be required to address the issue.
8. Inspect the Electrical Wiring
An immaculate, well-kept home provides the ideal place for relaxation during an arduous heatwave. Routine seasonal maintenance helps ensure that your property runs optimally while safeguarding its value.
Many of the summer home maintenance tasks on this list may seem overwhelming at first, but breaking them into manageable tasks and working through them step-by-step will help you accomplish them without interfering with your summer plans. Furthermore, taking these simple steps early could save money on costly repairs later.
Checking the breaker box is an easy and essential task. Be on the lookout for signs of corrosion or burn marks on its panel as well as clear access for emergency access in case of emergency situations. Furthermore, ensure it comes equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets.
Maintaining your home can seem like a tedious burden during summer vacation, but doing it now could prevent costly issues later and safeguard your investment. Speak to one of Thompson Kane’s expert home financing consultants today about financing options that protect and increase the value of your most significant asset.