Summer Home Maintenance Tips

Summer is here!  With the extra time at home, great weather and extra helpers around the house, now is a great time to start on some easy home maintenance to keep your humble abode in tip top shape this season.

1. Check Smoke Detectors

Your smoke detectors can sometimes be forgotten about, especially if they’re not chirping to remind you to replace the battery – but smoke detectors are one of the biggest safety features of your home. Are yours operating normally? Make sure to give it a test.

2. Replace Air Conditioning Filters

Tired of dust yet? One of the best way to stop this seasons allergens is by replacing your air conditioning filters. A way to make this even more effective is to vacuum the dust off of your air vents.

3. Clean Your Grill

Break out the scrub brush & some rubber gloves. In the summer, most of my meals are grilled – but with all the amazing food, comes some not so amazing stuff left behind. A brush with a metal scrapper and wire bristles can go a long way.

4. Wash Your Windows

With this season being pretty dry in our climate, now is a great time to wash your windows – both interior & exterior. Use a squeegee, some soapy water & put on your favorite tunes to get in the zone.

5. Inspect & Wash Window Screens

While washing your windows, now is a great time to inspect & wash your window screens. If you have any rips in your screens, it will be the easy to spot and patch them. To clean your screens, use some warm soapy water, and a scrub brush. I suggest doing it in the driveway to make hosing off easier.

6. Sweep & Power Wash Porch

Your porch is the first impression most see of your home – spruce up your entry by sweeping off any dirt & dust, and giving it a good power wash. It’ll make your porch look brand new – add some plants and a welcome mat, and you’ve basically become Joanna Gaines.

7. Dust & Reverse Ceiling Fans

While its tempting to just turn the fan on, and kick your feet up – that fan may be the source of your allergies. Your fan can collect dust, be sure to clean it off with a good rag, or vacuum the dust off. Once it’s clean, reverse the direction of the fan to counter-clockwise to push the cool air down and create a nicer breeze.

8. Inspect & Repair Fence

Spend a few minutes and walk around the perimeter of your fence – are there any boards that need to be nailed back into place? Any spots that need some extra support? Now is your chance to get that taken care of before it becomes a bigger issue down the line.

9. Prune Trees & Clean Up Landscaping

Your plants thrive in this seasons, and with new growth does come some dead, older, leaves. Cleaning up dead or dying branches and leaves on your trees and plants will help it grow.

Pruning trees and ensuring your landscaping is tidy also helps with defensible space, and let’s not forget that we do live in Nevada and it is the middle of summer – fire is a very real possibility. Being prepared can mean the difference between saving your home or not in the event of a natural disaster like fire.

10. Don’t Forget About Your Gutters

After a nice, windy, spring your gutters can use some love. Make sure your gutters and downspout are clear of all debris and leaves to ensure proper drainage away from your home. Improper drainage can lead to issues with your siding & foundation as well as lead to mold.

We hope this maintenance check list helps you! It’s important to remember with every season we should be taking care of our home to ensure it stays running smoothly. But, not everything needs to be done in one day – take it step by step & you’ll have a well maintained home year round.