Home Maintenance Season by Season

Every home needs repair or maintenance from time to time.  Some homeowners love nothing better than to spend their free time fixing a leaky faucet, cleaning the gutters, pressure washing the exterior, repainting the interior, caulking a tub, or any of the other myriad tasks that keep a house looking good and helps it maintain its value.  The rest of us hire professionals to do the job, leaving our free time for more enjoyable pursuits.

As in anything else, when it comes to maintaining your home and keeping it functioning well, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure.  Here are some common seasonal maintenance tasks that will help prevent the need for costly repairs down the road:

Summer

• Service your air conditioner.  A well functioning cooling system will not only operate more efficiently, but will cost you less to run.
• If necessary, repair any weatherstripping around windows and doors.  Keep cooled air from escaping outdoors.
• Clean the icemaker and address any performance issues with your refrigerator.  The hotter it is, the harder your fridge is working.  Make sure it is functioning well enough to provide lots of ice for cold drinks.

Fall

• Clean gutters and downspouts. Keep gutters and downspouts free from falling leaves and other debris to prevent clogging and related moisture problems.
• Replace any loose or missing roof shingles.  Summer and autumn storms can cause havoc with roof shingles.  The coming cold weather is tough on them too, so have any that need it replaced now to prevent leaks and energy loss.
• Have your chimney cleaned.  Those winter fires make you fell toasty, but if the chimney is clogged, you’re at a risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Have your heater serviced, ducts cleaned and replace filters. An efficiently running system will keep you warmer in winter and be more cost efficient to run.
• If necessary, repair any weatherstripping around windows and doors.  Keep heated air from escaping outdoors.

Winter

• Check insulation on pipes.  In areas where nighttime temperatures dip below freezing, pipes will freeze and break if not properly insulated.
• Cover or Remove window unit air conditioners. 
• If you haven’t already done so, service your heating system.  Winter is not the time to be without heat due to a system malfunction or inefficiency.

Spring

• Check for and repair any wood rot or termite damage.  Make sure your house’s structure is sound.
• Paint exterior.  A fresh coat of paint does wonders for your home’s curb appeal and protects the wood.
• Clean roof gutters and downspouts.  Pevent clogging and moisture problems.
• Replace any loose or missing roof shingles.  Upcoming summer storms can be cause for leaky roofs. Examine your attic for any signs of roof leakage.
• Check your sprinklers.  Make sure all are working properly and that none are directing water onto the house.