Summer is a wonderful season to enjoy your home. However, your home has some maintenance needs that must be tackled for you to fully enjoy the season.
The list below will guide you how to care for your home in the summer.
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 a 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 to run counterclockwise to create a nice, downward breeze in your home.
Storms, Fires, and Other Emergencies
- Prepare a disaster supply kit with water, shelf-stable food, batteries, flashlights, a radio, first-aid kit, etc., for storms and power outages.
- Create and review with your family safety measures (fire escape routes, list of names and numbers of family members to call for help, how/when to call 911, etc.).
Unwelcome Visitors
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:
- Seal all holes where pests can 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.
Outside Your Home
- Mow your grass weekly on the highest setting to prevent cutting it too short, causing it to dry out.
- Pull weeds from the lawn and garden beds weekly.
- Give your plants a good soak with the hose a few times a week instead of drizzling them every day. Morning is the best time to water.
- 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, 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.
After you’ve completed the bare essentials this summer, simply sit back and enjoy the season.
FUN FACT
The first hotel ever built in the United States was located in New York City. Located at 133 Broadway, the City Hotel opened in 1794 and featured 73 rooms.