Summer Home Maintenance

August 3, 2005

Summer is a great time to take care of some of those home maintenance items that can sneak up on you. Here’s a handy list of things to add to your to-do-list.

Maintain your lawn and garden tools.
Sharpen the blades, change the oil, and replace the filters on your lawn mower. Make sure your weed trimmers are in good condition. Oil garden tools and sharpen blades.

Inspect the locks on your doors and windows.
Make sure your home is safe and secure. Oil any sticky locks and consider a home security system. Outdoor lighting adds appeal to your home and can increase security.

Inspect Exposed Plumbing.
Check under your sinks and anywhere you can get access to exposed plumbing. Make sure there isn't any dampness that could indicate a small leak in the plumbing.

Inspect for termites and other pests.
Inspect the basement or crawl space, eaves, and attic for termites, carpenter ants, and other wood pests. If you see signs of wood damage, call a professional exterminator. Look under the eaves for wasp or hornet nests. Handle wasp or hornet nests with care and call in a professional if necessary.

Patios and porches.
Clean the barbecue and hose down brick or concrete patio surfaces. Replace any broken bricks and patch concrete cracks. Wash outdoor or screened-in porch floors. Plant annuals in pots, or replant existing planters. Lubricate patio doors. Bring out and clean up your patio or porch furniture.

Complete painting projects.
If you're painting your house yourself, wash your house first using the Shell Busey Home Cleaning Formula. Scrape off crumbling paint, smooth rough areas with sandpaper, and fill in damaged areas with a best-quality filler. Choose the best paint you can afford. Prime any bare patches with a quality exterior alkyd primer before completing the job with an acrylic latex paint.

You might consider schedule interior painting projects too because warm temperatures allow for better ventilation and quick drying times.

Build or repair fences.
Repair any damaged areas of existing fencing and refinish as necessary. If you're building a new fence, look carefully at the increasing variety of fencing materials. Make sure your fence complies with local codes and doesn't encroach on city or neighbouring properties. Be sure to call your local natural gas utility or Call before You Dig agency to make sure you don't have an accident and hit an underground gas line or other buried utility.

Inspect siding.
Check siding and trim around windows and doors for holes, dents, and gaps. Repair with wood filler or according to manufacturer's instructions. If your home's siding needs to be replaced entirely, summer is the best time for this one- to two-week project.

Garage Doors.
Now's a great time to lubricate the tracks on your garage doors.

Replace your roof.
If you need a new roof, have it installed during summer's warm, dry weather. Consider fire-resistant roof material if you live in an area prone to wildfire and if your current roof is not fireproof. Look for a reputable company that offers a good warranty. Companies such as GAF, offer industry leading warranties when your new roof is installed by one of their trained, certified roofing installers. GAF installers are trained to treat the roof as a system and address ventilation and other factors that can extend (or shorten) the life of your new roof.

Repair and seal driveways.
Renew the surface of asphalt driveways with sealer. Repair damage to concrete driveways as soon as possible (this project may require a professional).

Call Shell Busey's HouseSmart Referral Network when you are looking for a qualified home improvement professional.