article

The Homeowner's Summer Maintenance Checklist

By Realty Times Staff via Realty Times

bluehammer

New season. New tasks. As summer approaches, make sure your home is set with this home maintenance checklist.

Inspect Your Air Conditioner

As temperatures warm, you’ll want to stay cool. And in order to enjoy the benefits of cooled-air you’ll need to make sure that your air conditioner is running properly. Throughout the winter and spring months it is common for your air conditioner’s condensing coils to get filled up with dust, lint, grass clippings and other debris. This can impair the units function. If you have debris, it’s an easy fix. In most cases the debris can be cleared with a high-pressure spray down from a water house. It’s also important to clear the area around your air conditioner unit. This means no overgrowing vines or shrubbery that can hamper its ability to operate.

Clean Up Your Grill

Thinking about hosting a few cookouts this season? Not before you clean the grill. If you don’t already have a grill cover, invest in one to keep it protected from the elements throughout the other seasons. Your first task includes scrubbing your grill grate with a wire brush. This should also be done every time you grill, but let’s face it, sometimes it’s overlooked. Next, remove and wash your burner protectors. These can be removed easily. Toss them in a soap-filled five-gallon bucket and get to scrubbing. After that, wipe up the grime from your burners and clean the plates underneath with a wire brush. The plates are also removable. Finally, remove the bottom tray that serves as a collect-all, give it a wash and put all of your pieces back in order. Then, you’ll be ready to throw some steaks on the fire.

Check for Pests

Many types of pests thrive in the summer months. Due to summer temperatures, which affects behavior and development of common pests, ample food sources and increased daylight, many house and yard pests thrive throughout these months. But homeowners can prevent pests. First, check moist areas around your home and yard, like the gutters, for example, as these moist areas are hotspots for pest activity. Take a hard look at your home and inspect the outside of your house for cracks, crevices and holes, as these can be used as access points for unwanted pests, large and small. While you may be able to treat and prevent a number of pests, some pests, including wildlife, require special removal. If you suspect an infestation it is wise to contact a specialist or professional, as these trained experts have the skills necessary to properly remove wildlife nuisances.

Wash Your Windows

Take advantage of the warm weather, get outside and wash the windows. Ideally, your home’s windows should be washed twice per year. This task can be simplified and expedited with a squeegee. Instead of rubbing the dust and dirt around in a circular motion, opt for a strip applicator and use a solution of warm water and dishwashing soap. Next, wipe the window clean with a squeegee and clean up your window corners with a dry rag. For multi-pane windows you can customize a squeegee to fit the area by trimming it down with a hacksaw. It’s a simple solution for clean, streak-free windows.

Want to estimate your home improvement costs before talking with a contractor? Claim your home for free with bluehammer to estimate costs, secure your home inventory and learn more about your home.

* THIS REPORT IS AN OPINION THAT MAY BE INACCURATE AND IS PROVIDED SOLELY AS AN INFORMATIONAL TOOL NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. ALL ELEMENTS ARE OFFERED "AS IS" AND BLUEBOOK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND GUARANTEES OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITILY, NONINFRINGEMENT, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL BLUEBOOK (OR THEIR SUPPLIERS) BE LIABLE FOR ANY GENERAL, DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM USE OF THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING : (1) RELIANCE ON THE MATERIALS PRESENTED, (2) COSTS OF REPLACEMENT GOODS, (3) LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, (4) DELAYS OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTIONS, (5) AND ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION) WHETHER OR NOT BLUEBOOK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Know what you should pay for your home improvement projects with bluehammer.Claim your home. It's free!

Popular


How To Create A Great Accent Wall

Bringing color into your space doesn't require you to splash paint up everywhere. Sometimes, focusing on just one wall can have even greater impact, or at least allow you to slowly get used to the idea of color before you take the four-wall plunge.

Maintaining Your Hot Water Heater

Water heaters generally have a lifespan of 8-12 years, but as with anything, the better care you take of it, the longer it will last. There are several easy "set it and forget it" tips that you can use with your water heater, like keeping the thermostat at 120 degrees, and always maintain two feet of clearance around the appliance. You can also conserve money on your gas bill by setting your heater to its "vacation" setting when leaving town. This will keep the pilot light going without heating the water.

Is School Improvement Part of Your Ownership Strategy?

Neighborhoods with good schools often carry higher value for home buyers with children, so if you want to raise values in your neighborhood, supporting school improvement may be a valuable undertaking.

8 Amazingly Easy Tips For A Pet-Friendly Home

For many of us, it's an absolute pleasure to share our homes with our four-legged best friends. But there's no denying that our pets can sometimes lead to wear and tear on our homes. Yet with careful planning and some redesigned elements, we can enhance our house so that it's conducive to our pets and ourselves. If you live with a beloved pet, the following design trends and home-living tips are sure to promote a home that's comfortable for everyone -- and everything -- that lives there.

8 Clever Ways To Zone Off Space In An Open Floor Plan

We've fallen for open-plan living in recent years. After all, not many of us have a formal room just for company anymore. And with modern building materials, we don't necessarily need every room to have four walls to keep it at a comfortable temperature. But although an open plan may bring the space, light, flow and garden views we desire, it can also feel problematic to organize into zones - and prove distracting to share. Enter the glass partition. It makes room division simple yet doesn't starve spaces of light or compromise the open feel. Decorative, at half or full height, framed or barely visible, a glass partition can work in every environment. Check out these designs.

Clever Ways To Create More Storage In Your Kitchen

Who doesn't need more storage in the kitchen? You may not have a massive space with dozens of cabinets and yards of countertops, but that doesn't mean you don't have the space you need to store all your stuff. Use a few of these clever tricks and you might be surprised how much extra room you can create.

10 Spring Cleaning Tricks For Everyone

Lazy cleaning is all about minimizing the effort. But, minimal effort doesn't have to mean you live like a slob - it just means you need to know some cool tricks tools that will help do the work for you, or at least make it less painful.

Essential Garage Equipment for Car Enthusiasts

What makes a car enthusiast? The vehicle you own says a lot about your passion for cars. About 12 percent of Americans are loyal to a particular vehicle brand, and vehicle brand loyal customers are four times more likely than other consumers to describe themselves as car enthusiasts, according to Scarborough. What you have in your garage also makes a statement about your love of cars. Here are some essential items every car enthusiast should have.

6 Ways To Create A More Serene Stress-Free Home

Your home is supposed to be your haven, the place where you can relax and wash away the stresses of the day. But, if your house is messy, cluttered, or designed in a way that opposes certain Feng Shui principles, it could actually be adding to your stress. Apply a few tips to make your home the serene spot it should be.

Keeping Your Refrigerator Running Its Best

Refrigerators are the most important appliance in the Kitchen. Many home owners make sure to keep the inside of their refrigerators clean but often don't think about the best practices that can help keep their fridge running it's best.

See More Articles