Your Quintessential Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

Summer is in full swing—there’s beautiful weather and no school! This season is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with the people we care about, gathering round for outdoor BBQs, backyard parties, and cookouts. But before you start planning or sending out invites, you’ll want to make sure that your guests stay safe and comfortable under your roof. To help you keep your house in tip-top shape, we’ve compiled a summer home maintenance checklist just for you:

Inspect your driveway for damage

You don’t want your guest to start off your party with a bumpy ride. But more than that, keeping your driveway free from cracks and potholes will protect your car from damage. Patch those cracks and potholes or hire a professional to do it. Outside of keeping your driveway pothole-free, keep it clean by power washing all the dirt that may have built up over the last year.

Keep your porch and deck safe

The last thing you want at your backyard party is someone getting a splinter, tripping over—or worse, falling from your deck or porch. Inspect your deck and porch supports, railings, floors, and stairs for any hazards or damage and get them fixed before inviting anyone over.

Keep your lawn clean and trimmed

When maintaining your lawn for summer, make sure to mow high to encourage root growth and higher resistance to heat. Taller grass provides more shade and keeps weeds from sprouting. Water your lawn frequently to maintain ideal moisture levels even under the hot summer sun. And in the late summer, make sure to aerate your lawn and overseed your grass if necessary. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional.

Clean your grill before cookouts

Nothing screams summer more than the smell of a backyard barbecue. But before you fire up the grill, take stock of its condition first.

• If you have a gas grill, heat it up for about 20-30 minutes, then use a grill brush to scrub the grates clean.
• For a charcoal grill, use a bucket of hot, soapy water and clean with a sponge.

Keeping your grill clean and free from soot is the first step to getting ready to serve up some delicious hotdogs, burgers, steaks, and even corn on the cob!

Don’t forget pool maintenance

Diving right into your pool sounds like a grand idea given rising temperatures. However, you have to inspect and maintain your pool regularly to keep everyone using it safe and happy. The simple act of taking the time to clean your pool goes a long way. Here are some tips:

• Brush your pool’s walls, steps, and floors to remove dirt and debris.
• Skim the water’s surface and pool floor to remove leaves and other items.

And don’t forget to clean your pool filters! We highly recommend creating and abiding by a regular pool cleaning schedule.

Clean out your gutters and downspouts

Keeping your home’s exterior clean can be challenging, especially your gutters and downspouts. But it is definitely one thing that you should check off your checklists for both fall and summer home maintenance. Consider softwashing your home’s exterior to clean out your gutters and downspouts. You can also softwash screen doors, outdoor wooden furniture, and sidings.

Check for water leaks

Water leaks can cause a lot of costly damage to your home and belongings if not addressed as soon as possible. We shared several tips on how to detect these leaks in a previous blog. Here are a couple more you can use in your home:

Use several drops of food coloring

Toilets account for 30% of your water usage at home. Older types of toilets also tend to be inefficient, wasting as much as 6 gallons of water per use. That is why it’s important to check if they are working properly and efficiently. A good way to check for leaks is to add a bit of food coloring to your toilet tank. If the water in your toilet changes after several minutes without using the flush, you’ve found a leak and should get it fixed as soon as possible.

Monitor your exterior water usage

Water leaks don’t just happen indoors—they can happen in your backyard too! Check your sprinklers and garden hoses for any leaks. Be on the lookout for wet, soggy areas in your lawn as they may be a sign of water leakage. Consider calling a professional to check your irrigation or plumbing system.

Stay cool in the summer

Summer’s warm breeze is great for outdoor adventures. But how do you stay cool at home without your electric bill going out of control? To help you keep the warm weather at bay without breaking the bank, here are some tips to cool you off:

Get an energy audit

Using energy more efficiently helps a lot in minimizing your utility bills. If you want to keep your AC running without your electric bill inflating, you have to make sure that there are no little cracks or spaces in your home where warm air can seep in. A good way to do this is by getting an energy audit. Reach out to a professional to do some diagnostic testing and provide solutions to keep your home energy efficient.

Adjust your thermostat

Instead of running your AC on high the entire day, turn them off or set the thermostat at a higher temperature if you’re planning to go out for a while. By doing so, you enable your AC to work efficiently. Consider switching to a smart thermostat so you can set the temperature lower when you’re about to go home.

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