Oh summer. The temperature is high, the rain has finally subsided and the sunshine is shining. It's important to keep your home clean and to prepare for a hot summer. See all the best summer maintenance ideas for your property to make the most out of your summer and help avoid any home maintenance issues.

  1. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms. This is just a top tip we do every summer to always make sure the batteries are in tip-top shape for all our smoke detectors.

  2. Don't forget your carbon monoxide detectors, they should be installed in every bedroom and around any gas appliances.

  3. Get your Air Conditioner serviced. You'll want to make sure there are no freon leaks, and that the fins on your outdoor unit are not clogged with pollen/dirt/debris. An HVAC system that doesn't have to work so hard, will help keep your energy bills down as well!

  4. Dust ceiling fan blades and check the fan speeds are functioning properly. Make sure all your ceiling fans are still securely mounted to the ceiling.

  5. Clean the shower head. Using some CLR or other approved cleaner, dump it in a bucket and submerge the shower head in.

  6. Clean bathroom drain and faucet drain trap. Avoid using the store bought liquid plumber or other similar products. The best cleaner is some baking soda and vinegar, and using a small drain snake such as the one in this kit, just remove any stubborn clogs before they become a real issue.

  7. Clean washing machine filter. Most washing machines have a small door at the bottom of the front panel, and behind it, you will find a small water filter. You should be draining the water into a small container, and cleaning the filter at least every 3 months. Don't forget to wipe the inside of the door seals frequently as well!

  8. Clean the lint trap housing of your dryer. Amazingly there are people out there that didn't know you have to clean the lint trap of your dryer (if this is news to you, stop reading and go clean your right now!). Even if you clean the lint trap screen after every load, there still can be a build up of lint. If you purchase a kit like this it comes with a very handy claw-like tool that you can use to pick up any lint that has gotten past the screen but is stuck against the housing of your dryer.

  9. This can really be 7 part 2, but check your dryer vent outlet. Run your dryer on manual and go outside to find your vent outlet. It should be blasting out hot air, with the vent flaps (make sure they're still there!) fully open. If the air pressure is weak, you'll need to call in a dryer vent service company.

  10. Check your Hot Water Heater. Nearby most washing machines, will be your hot water heater, so give it some attention while you're there. First off make sure there are no leaks around, and if you have a tankless hot water heater (like us!), there will be a little air filter just on the inside of the main case. Have a read from your instruction manual, and clear out that air filter.

  11. Protect against water damage. Speaking water, if you don't have these already - count how many water appliances you have (dishwasher, fridge with ice maker, washing machine, hot water heater) and add in how many bathroom sinks you have. Once you got that number, order these water alarm sensors to be placed right by them. If I had one a year ago underneath my dishwasher, I could have saved myself thousands of dollars worth of damage.

  12. Give the BBQ a scrub. Take the grills and sear plates (sometimes called heat deflectors) out of your BBQ, and give your burners a quick once over with your grill brush. This will help loosen any debris that has accumulated on them, and provide a better flame. Most BBQs have removable drip trays under the burners that catches all your burnt up hamburgers, make sure to empty that. Clean and replace the sear plates, and if your grill grates are stainless, soak them for a bit in some soapy water, followed by a good scrub with the grill brush. If you have natural gas grills or firepits, it doesn't hurt to use some soapy water and check for gas leaks that may have developed.

  13. Check window screens. Make sure they are still there (thanks to the winter storms for the fate of one of ours), and not full of holes that they become useless. We just purchased a set of magnetic screens for our patio doors to help keep the bugs out.

  14. Check your Garage Door, Rails and Sensors. Make sure the trip sensors work, and that the door rollers are all intact. With the door down, pull the emergency release/manual release string to disengage the door from the motor. You should be able to fairly easy roll the door up and down on your own and feel the spring helping you. If anything seems off, call in a garage door technician to service your system.

  15. Wash the Vinyl Siding. Top tip here - don't hire a pressure washing company to do this for you, as if you use a pressure washer to clean your siding, the water will work its way up and behind the siding and could cause trouble. The best way is a long brush, a bucket of soapy water, and a garden hose.

  16. Clean the Gutters. Grab a ladder and some gloves and clean your gutters, you don't want to be out there trying to clear a blockage in the middle of the night during a storm (like I have). If you are not too keen on heights, there are plenty of companies out there your can hire.

  17. Clean window casings. The railings of your windows can get clogged up with debris over the years. Using an old toothbrush and some warm water with soap should get that taken care of. While we often clean the windows themselves, we forget to clean around them.

  18. Check for insulation gaps. Have a look at all the seals of your exterior windows and doors and make sure your weather stripping is in good shape. For example, your front door should have soft rubbery inserts all around it, and you shouldn't be able to see the sunlight through any gaps with the door closed.

  19. Go into the attic and check your exhaust duct. I had to pop into the attic one morning to put some items away for storage, while my wife was cooking breakfast. I thought it was weird that the attic smelled so strongly of bacon - until I realized the ducting for our oven exhaust had fallen off! If you have an attic, its worth it to have a peak around and make sure everything is still attached as it should be.

  20. Move the fridge and oven away from the walls. Most fridges are on wheels, and the oven should be able to be moved by shimmying it back and forth (not heavy, just awkward). This lets you clean behind them, check for water leaks if your fridge has a water supply line (one of the leading causes of water damage claims, is from a fridge according to our friends at Through the Grapevine Restoration), and make sure the plug outlets for them are in good shape.

We hope that this list of basic summer home maintenance tips will give you a head start on your own summer curb appeal and that it will help you prevent some common problems like a broken or damaged window or water-damaged floor. Once you've finished this list, I think it would be appropriate to sit down and enjoy a nice BBQ'd hamburger on your clean grill!

 

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