The summer season officially starts on Saturday, June 20. While you may be eager to get out of the house and finally enjoy the sunny and warm weather with family picnics, walks in the park, and cookouts, there are a few simple end-of-spring home maintenance tasks you should tackle first. Getting these chores finished now will give you and your family more time to enjoy the great outdoors together — without having to worry about clogged gutters, dusty ceiling fan blades, leaky pipes, etc.
Where should I start?
First things first: schedule a tune-up appointment for your air conditioner. While the temperature outside may not be unbearable just yet, it’s only a matter of time before the mercury in the thermometer starts to climb.
Experts recommend an annual maintenance appointment for your cooling system. During this tune-up appointment, a trained technician will clean and inspect all working components of your unit to be sure things are in working order. This will help your AC run efficiently all season long, hopefully without any expensive breakdowns to worry about.
If a problem is found during the tune-up, it can likely be taken care of quickly — and before it results in a total breakdown of your system. Remember, failure to take care of the problem now could leave you and your family hot, miserable, and uncomfortable during the dog days of summer.
Not sure who to turn to for professional AC maintenance services? At Oncourse Home Solutions, we offer an affordable Cooling Maintenance Plan. When enrolled, you are entitled to one annual tune-up for your home’s air conditioning system.
What’s next?
After having your air conditioner inspected and tuned-up, it’s time to take care of a few tasks outside your home — things like cleaning your gutters, performing a visual inspection of your roof, power-washing the siding, and checking for cracks in concrete surfaces.
Cleaning the gutters and checking the roof
Make sure that your gutters are free of any build-up — a clog here could spell trouble for your home’s roof, siding, and foundation. When there’s an accumulation of leaves, twigs, pinecones, acorns, etc. in your gutter system, rainwater from summer storms won’t be able to drain properly off the roof of your home. This allows moisture to accumulate on your roofline and cause water damage to roofing panels, and then to your siding as the rainwater begins spilling down. Left untreated, the moisture build-up along your foundation could cause structural problems.
While cleaning your gutters, give the roof a visual inspection. Check for missing or damaged shingles, which will need to get replaced before rainwater starts causing water damage. If left untreated, dangerous mold and mildew could develop on your roof and in your attic. This could jeopardize your home’s indoor air quality.
Power-wash your home’s siding
Nobody wants to spend hours washing dirt and grime from the siding on their home. However, failure to clean the sided surfaces of your home’s exterior could lead to the development of mold or mildew. Not only are these fungi unsightly, but they could also begin eating away at the siding and cause damage to your home’s interior.
Check for cracks in concrete surfaces
Perform a visual inspection of your driveway, sidewalks, patio, pool deck, and other concrete surfaces. If you notice any cracks, fill them as soon as possible before the damage gets worse. Often, these cracks can be filled by a professional with injection techniques. If left untreated, these cracks could get deeper and ultimately lead to sinking/shifting of the concrete — potentially causing damage that could be expensive to take care of.
Now what?
After you’ve finished maintaining these areas outside your home, shift your focus to making sure the inside of your family’s space is up to par.
- Clean dust and grime off your ceiling fan blades. This way, dirt won’t be blown around your room when the fan is running.
- Check for plumbing leaks. Perform a visual inspection of the pipes under your sinks and in your basement ceiling. If you notice any moisture, contact a plumber for assistance.
- Make sure vents aren’t blocked. Many times, when homeowners complain that rooms in their home feel warmer than they should, it’s because the rooms’ vents are blocked and cool air can’t get in. Be certain there aren’t rugs, curtains, or furniture blocking airflow.
- Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Even if you did this around the time we changed our clocks, it doesn’t hurt to do another test to be sure they’re working as they should.
- Check for moisture damage. If you’re able to view your attic space, be sure that insulating materials haven’t been damaged by moisture from winter or spring storms. If you see damaged areas, contact an insulation expert for assistance.
Now you’re ready for summer!
After you’ve finished all your hard work, celebrate with your family and enjoy the late spring weather together.