Home Maintenance Tips for Late Summer
Source:
http://boiserealestateinfo.net
Publish Date: 08/25/2008
This time of year offers a great window of opportunity to do some basic home maintenance. Two important areas of focus – cosmetic touch-ups and a top-to-bottom inspection of the home – will do wonders to ensure that your home is in great shape heading into winter.
Check the House from Top to Bottom
Shrubbery, flowerbeds, or other forms of landscaping near the foundation of a house are attractive, but when they get too close for comfort it can cause serious problems that are expensive to fix. To maintain a healthy buffer zone between organic growth and your home’s foundation, keep some distance between your landscape and your house. Ideally it should be possible to see about 18 inches of open space between the foundation and the bushes. Also make sure that the soil slopes so that water drains away – not toward – the home.
Look for symptoms of rotten wood, deteriorating brickwork, or termite tracks (they look like veins made of thin paths of mud) along the foundation. If you find them, have them checked more thoroughly by a qualified contractor. If there is space around the outside walls of your home and drainage is in the right direction, the foundation will stay uncluttered and dry and won’t be a suitable home for unwanted pests.
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Next, be sure that the gutters are clear. At the end of summer they may be clogged with dirt, old leaves, or sprouting plants. Sprouts occur when, for example, trees drop acorns into the gutters and then they get lots of rain and sunshine over the summer. Finally, give the roof a close visual inspection. Look for curling or missing shingles and note their location. Minor issues can be patched, but if roof maintenance is neglected it can lead to major problems. Paint and Caulk Touch-UpsCaulk and paint are two of the best labor and money saving solutions of all when it comes to Water Heater SettingsIf you plan to go away for Labor Day weekend or other end of summer vacationing, set the water heater to its vacation setting. Otherwise each time the water in the tank cools, the unit will reheat it unnecessarily, wasting energy and money. The vacation setting is usually a dial or knob located on the base of the water tank and it has two or three different settings or modes. Another alternative is to replace conventional water heaters with “heat on demand” units. These only operate when hot waters taps are turned on, so they save money and energy all year ‘round. Doing maintenance on a seasonal basis not only helps keep homes in good shape and yards looking nice, but it makes it much easier to get the chores done because they tend to take less time when done regularly. Don’t procrastinate, because doing these simple things will let you reap the satisfying rewards of home upkeep and pride of ownership. ### You have my permission to republish the “In My Opinion” articles in your web site, newsletter, or ebook, if you follow these terms and conditions:
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high-impact home maintenance. Check window frames for signs of peeling or missing caulk, and patch those gaps where air conditioning in warm months – or heat in colder months – escapes and contributes to an expensive loss of energy efficiency. Caulk is cheap so don’t be afraid to use it liberally. Then apply a fresh coat of paint as needed. Use semi-gloss for door and window frames, because glossier paints are easier to clean when surfaces get smudged. 