10 Seasonal Home Maintenance Tips
Clean, clean, and clean. Though cleanliness may not always be next to godliness, it's right next door to safety. Filters are one of the places often ignored by homeowners. Dust and dirt can accumulate on filters and they can waste energy. Thus, it's important to always check the air conditioning filters, fish tank filters, furnace filters, and pool filters.
Vacuum heating vents and the bathroom ventilation fans using a hose vacuum. To do this, remove the vent covers and then feed the hose into the duct and work to clean it.
Also check your chimney and make sure to keep it clean. You can either clean it yourself or you can hire a professional to avoid soot from building up that much.
Placing a chimney screen is also a good idea to prevent birds, squirrels, bats, and other smaller animals and insects from getting inside the house.
Also ensure to clean out the vacuum blades and the fan especially if you have pets inside the house because pet hair can get wound up around the blades and clog the motor.
Your lawn also needs to be maintained to eliminate weeds. Instead of using commercial weed killers, you can pull weeds by hand. Commercial weed killers are toxic to humans, animals, and other plants. It may also poison your water supply.
Clean outside the dryer and attic vents to prevent debris from clogging them.
Clean your gutters regularly. Even if you have seamless or covered gutters, they still need to be flushed during spring or summer to remove leaves, branches, and other debris from clogging them. Gutters and downspouts are very important as they work really hard in protecting your house from moisture damage. If there is leak in your gutters, water can spill out and accumulate near foundations.
Inspect your roof or hire a professional to check for wear and tear. If you notice that shingles are buckling, curling, or crackling, you may need a new roof.
Inspect your doors and windows especially when there's a change in temperature and humidity as well as normal wear and tear because they can cause window seals to shrink and crack. Always check your windows and doors, both inside and out, for any leaks and drafts. Install weather stripping around your doors and windows or caulk cracks.