Summer is coming soon. The cold season is slowly starting to wind down, and pretty soon we’ll have the warm sun on our backs, the smell of summer in the air, and all the good and bad that comes with the season of warmth.
For the homeowners out there, the summer season requires you to be diligent in maintaining your home. You need to stay on top of things, otherwise, you might spend your summer months dealing with bugs, weeds, splinters, a dead lawn, and other unwanted problems.
So, to help you actually enjoy the season of picnics and vacations, here are 8 maintenance tips to help you stay on top of things.
#1: Keep your grass green
If you’ve had troubles in the past with your grass looking like a field of despair rather than a lush, warm carpet of nature, then pay attention.
Think of your lawn like a pet – you need to keep it fed and watered, by adding lawn food occasionally to provide additional nutrients (but don’t over-feed or try to feed your lawn while it is dormant). When you water your grass, a common tip from lawn experts is to water “deeply and infrequently” in the early hours of the morning, especially during dry seasons and droughts. And don’t cut the grass too short. This encourages the growth of the roots.
#2: Get rid of splinters
Even if you don’t enjoy walking out on your deck barefoot, splinters can still be a huge issue for your hands, and for your pets or any young guests who are coming by. Fixing the splinter problem can make your deck that much more enjoyable.
The good news is you don’t have to replace the deck! First, inspect it, and just make sure you don’t have any rotted boards or rusted nails that need replacing. Then give your deck a good thorough cleaning, and apply a stain that suits your deck. Remember that stain soaks into the wood, so you may need to apply multiple coats.
If your deck is in bad shape and needs a lot of parts replaced, consider hiring some help by searching online for a handyman near me in Winter Haven, or in your local area, if you aren’t confident in your deck-building skills – especially if the structural integrity is in poor condition.
Once this is all done, you and your furry friends won’t have to pick bits of wood out from between your toes anymore.
#3: Stop the scourge of weeds
Nothing infuriates people quite like a weed problem on their property. There are 3 areas where weeds can cause problems – your lawn, your garden, and the cracks in your sidewalk and driveway. For the last of the 3, you can simply plug those cracks with sand, crack filler, or anything else along those lines.
For your garden and lawn, you can use herbicide but that is often more of a scorched earth tactic. Instead, you should put on some gloves and tear ‘em out. Promoting good lawn health as mentioned above will prevent new weeds from coming in.
#4: Wash your windows
Summer is the perfect opportunity to clean up your windows. Cleaning them off will allow more natural light through, and make the view through them much clearer. And the best part is it’s not even hard to do. Just get some soap, hot water and a squeegee (and a ladder) and get to it.
#5: Take care of your A/C
The heat is nice, but let’s face it – sometimes we don’t want to be sweating buckets and leaving a snail trail all around the house. The A/C is essential for anyone who lives in a warm part of the world. You already know to replace the filters in your air conditioner, but that’s not all.
You need to check the outdoor units to ensure that there are no weeds getting tangled up inside, and then you ought to take the fans out and give them a thorough cleaning. Dust can build up on the fans, which not only makes you’re A/C less effective, its also damaging to the air quality in your home!
#6: On the topic of dust… make sure your air circulation in the house is good
Clear out all the dust from your vents, your screens, behind the fridge, everything. Go to all your ceiling fans and set them to spin counter-clockwise (there’s generally a switch on them, above the fan blades). Good air quality is not only important for enjoying your summer and staying cool, it’s also vital to your health.
If your air conditioner isn’t circulating well, you might have a serious problem with the inner workings, so if that’s the case consider calling a handyman who specializes in A/C repair.
#7: Dehumidify the place
This is especially important if you have a basement or bathroom prone to mildew and mold development. A dehumidifier is great to have, though owning one can sometimes get a little pricey if you are too over-zealous in using it. Setting it to auto will allow the dehumidifier to do its job without breaking your bank account.
Remember, reducing the humidity levels in the home also helps you control allergy triggers, and they help you breathe easier, which will help you have more restful sleeps in the summer – especially for those with sleep conditions such as sleep apnea.
#8: Prevent bugs
Bugs are the worst kind of house guest. They’re gross, irritating, and sometimes they bite. Luckily, you don’t have to host them. Give all the bugs in the neighborhood an eviction notice this summer. Firstly, clean your gutters. If you leave them they can quickly become a filthy cesspool that mosquitos, flies, and other creepy crawlies call home.
Use poison and traps to kill existing insects, and keep all the wood in your home sealed or painted to prevent burrowing bugs from getting in.
Keep your sinks clean, stay on top of washing dishes, and freeze your food waste to prevent flies and roaches. You can pour boiling hot water down your drain to kill any eggs and flies living down inside. As long as you practice good cleaning habits, you should be able to keep bugs out. Fun fact: some plants are natural bug repellants!
There you have it. 8 tips on how to maintain your home in shape for the coming summer months. Take care of these jobs yourself, or hire a professional handyman to do the job. Either way after your home has been maintained, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the summer.
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