Summer is upon us, and with it, big changes in weather that can affect our homes. Even if you have no plans of selling your home this year, making a few seasonal checks on your home will be a valuable choice, giving you the chance to catch issues when they are small and manageable rather than extensive and expensive. While you know your own home best, here are some starter items for your checklist.
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Get an A/C servicing before you’re in dire need
Even if you’ve never been in the habit of getting your a/c unit serviced regularly, there’s a ton of benefits to starting this tradition before summer arrives and has you blasting central air frequently. Servicing can help you identify if something small is off in your system, putting strain on the whole thing. When your system stays in top working order, you’ll get more years of life out of the unit, so small fixes along the way may pay off in a big way.
Note and seal spots where pests enter, and have a plan for bugs
Critters tend to wake up and try to visit during the summer, from ants to mice and every other kind of pest. Based on your knowledge of past home invading pests, make a plan now and get the tools you need, and create a plan for keeping them stocked and used throughout the summer. An ounce of prevention can make for less surprise visitors, so when you identify a path in, working to seal it or talking with a pest control professional about other solutions can help you to safely keep your home pest-free.
Evaluate drafts and replace weatherstripping
Just like the winter when we don’t want our heated air escaping, we want to retain as much air conditioned air as we can. Do a home energy audit where you evaluate where you’re losing conditioned air, especially if your windows and doors have faulty weatherstripping or seals that could use additional caulk. These small projects make your a/c unit work less hard and can pay for themselves in saved energy costs.
Check for roof and siding damage that leads to water intrusion
After the wet weather of many springs, it’s wise to make sure you don’t have water intrusion anywhere in your home. From the foundation to the siding to the roof, there are possible spots where storm damage or normal wear and tear could introduce a big enough hole to get rain water inside to your home’s wooden structure, leading to mold and mildew and even substantial rot. This is a great example of a problem that, when caught early, can simply involve patching and drying out an area, but which can cost a ton if you need to replace core portions of the home and mitigate extensive mold. Best to catch small repairs early even if they aren’t ultimately causing water damage; it makes the exterior of your home look great too.
