3 Summer Home Maintenance Tasks You’re Not Doing But You Should Be
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I know, it’s July, and all you want to do is go on vacation or sit by the pool, but when you’re not doing that, spare a little time for some summer home maintenance. We’re into the dog days of summer in North Texas, and the heat is hard on your home, so it could use a little extra TLC.
Even if you have been a diligent homeowner this summer, you probably haven’t done these tasks:
Sprinkler System Maintenance
Always assuming this is a sprinkler head and not a poorly placed water feature, the most common reason for a geyser like this is a broken head. You can usually replace the head yourself by purchasing a new one at a hardware store or online. But how did it break to begin with? Sprinkler heads typically break when they fail to retract when they’re finished watering, and a sprinkler head stuck in the upright position is just waiting for a lawn mower, dog, or what-have-you to take it out.
If you find a sprinkler head that won’t retract, first pump it with your hand or foot to dislodge any debris that might be blocking it. If there’s no blockage, it may be a spring malfunction which will require replacing the head.
During the summer, you should run the system zone by zone to check for leaks, misdirected sprinkler heads, and broken lines. Walk the area to look for missing or broken heads and any pooling water.
Clean Your Rain Gutters
Summer is actually the perfect time to maintain your rain gutters because it’s so dry. Would you rather scoop out a heavy, slimy, wet mess or a dry, easy-to-clean mess? And while you’re cleaning those nice dry rain gutters, notice the drainage pattern, so you don’t end up with problems like Inspector Brian found in the video. If you have gutters draining directly to the roof, you can get connecting pipes to redirect the water to the ground.
Maintain Your Garage
Garage doors most commonly break down during extreme cold and extreme heat. So it’s a good idea to give that big heavy door that’s baking in 100-plus-degree temperatures on the outside and is basically an oven on the inside, some extra love. Your manufacturer’s guide should have the steps for proper care, but if you don’t have that handy, here’s a useful video for garage door maintenance.
If you have questions about summer home maintenance, or how to take care of your home seasonally, we recommend a seasonal maintenance home inspection. You can get a status report on all the systems of your house, and information on any repairs or improvements you may need.
