North Prairie’s Summer
Home Maintenance Guide
Just like a car, your North Prairie home needs regular care, seasonal maintenance, and occasional tune-ups, to stay in great working condition. Staying on top of summer home maintenance is the best way to prevent issues that lead to costly repair work in the future.
Warmer weather also makes it easier to do those external repair jobs you’ve been putting off, and to spruce up your yard before you start outdoor entertaining. We’ve put a link to our summer checklist at the end of this post, but here are some suggestions on how to prep your new home for summer.
Summer home maintenance: monitor basement humidity and damp
A humid basement means a damp basement, and damp can lead to mold, fungal growth, rot and structural damage. That’s why it’s important to check for any dripping pipes or lingering condensation.
A hygrometer is an inexpensive device easily purchased in a hardware store to test your basement humidity level. You want it to be beneath 45%. If humidity is too high, running a dehumidifier is one way to lower moisture levels. You can also run a fan or open up windows to air out your basement.
Service heating & cooling systems
If you want to save money on your power bill over the summer, then a professional clean of your air conditioner is essential. This includes checking and cleaning the filters, coils and fins. This ensures everything is working optimally and enhances energy efficiency. If any parts need to be replaced it’s best to find out before summer when you’ll need it.
Summer is also a good time to vacuum the foam filters in your HRV and wash them in lukewarm water with a mild detergent. This should be done every three months but especially after winter. You can also replace the furnace filter at this time if necessary.
Check and replace window and door seals
Harsh winter weather can cause cracks and leaks in seals around windows and doors. In summer, you don’t want cool air escaping when running your air conditioner, as it’s effectively wasting money.
Part of your summer home maintenance plan then should be to check that weather-stripping and caulking around doors and windows is in good condition. If not they’ll need to be repaired or replaced.
Check the general condition of your roof
Your roof is the most important part of your home. Cracks in roof joints or missing shingles can affect how well your home is protected from the elements. While a sagging roof can indicate structural problems.
Get out your binoculars and survey your roof for anything that looks amiss. Don’t attempt to climb up your roof for a closer inspection as you could make matters worse. If you think you have issues then call in a professional roof inspector to take a look.
Make repairs and fixes to exterior and yard
Before your alfresco entertaining begins in earnest, it’s a good idea to check your yard and home’s exterior to make sure it’s safe for visitors. The last thing you want is someone to trip over an uneven paver or fall through your rotten deck. It’s also a chance to lubricate door hinges and tighten screws so everything functions as it should.
Bottom line
It is essential to carry out regular seasonal maintenance checks on your North Prairie home to ensure all your equipment is working correctly and there are no issues that may cost you time and money if left unchecked.
We all lead very busy lives, and it’s hard to remember everything—so why not set a reminder on your phone or mark your calendar to carry out these checks on the first day of each new season? Check out our convenient Summer Home Maintenance Checklist or watch the video.
