With Summer in full swing and the kids out of school, you may be looking forward to cookouts, children playing in the pool or yard, and gatherings of friends and family. Make sure you and your guests stay safe and happy this Summer by taking steps to keep your home cool and protected from costly damage. Here are a few Summer Home Maintenance tips to get you started.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 1: Inspect your porch or deck.
- The last thing you need is a painful splinter in your toe, or worse! Carefully inspect your porch or deck supports, floors, stairs, and railings for any damage or hazards that happened over the Winter or Spring.
- Then, be sure you make repairs before you invite guests over.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 2: Check for water leaks inside and out.
- You’ve probably already turned on the water to your outside faucets. Inspect the pipes and any appliances attached to them to see if there is any sign of leaks inside or outside your home.
- Pay attention to your water bills, as they can be a good indication of a leak somewhere that’s not obvious, like an underground sprinkler system.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 3: Patch cracks and potholes in the driveway.
- Avoid damage to your vehicles by smoothing out your driveway. You can hire someone to resurface it or patch it yourself if the cracks and holes are small.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 4: Clean your grill before lighting it.
- Before you start barbecuing this Summer, give your grill a thorough cleaning, both inside and out. With the propane tank turned off, remove the briquettes and cooking grates, and carefully detach the gas tubes and burners. Then, wash the grill with warm, soapy water, dry it with a towel, and reassemble.
- During the season, take time to burn off the grease on the grates. This can eliminate unwanted fires.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 5: Cool your home efficiently.
- Instead of keeping your air conditioner on full blast all Summer, try lowering the blinds, investing in blackout curtains, closing off unused rooms, and placing a bowl of ice in front of a large fan.
- If temperatures are too hot upstairs, move to the basement floor. Be sure to let the cool night air in by putting fans in the window after the sun goes down.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 6: Keep your lawn in good shape.
- As a general rule, your lawn needs between one and one and a half inches of water per week. During the hot Summer months, water your lawn during the last couple hours before sunrise to keep the water from evaporating. Be sure to follow any city limitations or bans on watering.
- Sharpen your mower blades to give your grass a clean cut. This will help it conserve moisture better.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 7: Trim trees and bushes.
- If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, keep your trees and bushes trimmed around your house.
- Pick up any lawn or garden debris, as it can feed fires.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 8: Inspect your pool.
- Before opening your pool to swimmers this Summer, be sure to clean it and balance the chemicals properly. According to swimuniversity.com, thousands of pool owners end up in the emergency room each year due to poisoning from pool chemicals. Use safety goggles and extra care when handling your chemicals.
- Make sure any steps, ladders, railings, slides, and diving boards are in good condition and installed securely. Make sure your pump and filter are working well, and the pool is brushed and vacuumed often to head off algae problems.
- Be sure to shock the pool at the beginning of the season to kill all the bacteria and get your water sparkling clean. After dealing with chemicals in the pool, spray down the pool deck completely.
- Test all of your pool’s safeguards: gate locks, door alarms, and storage for chemicals. Set out your rescue and first aid equipment and flotation devices.
Summer Home Maintenance Tip 9: Consider your liability.
- Summer is a time for outdoor accidents. Review your liability insurance policy to make sure you are completely covered for any unfortunate accidents that may happen on your property.
- Consider additional liability insurance coverage if you own a pool.
- Your insurance agent can help you decide how much you’ll need, so contact your local Farmers Union Insurance Agent to set up your appointment. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
Thanks to company partner Chubb for contributing to the content of this blog. Find more helpful resources on their website’s Resources tab. [/av_textblock]