Your Home’s Summer To-Do List

Here’s the next installment of my series, “Your Home’s To-Do List.” I spotlight what home tasks you should tackle at this particular time of the year. In addition to my basic maintenance reminders, I also suggest ways to increase your home’s value and how to “Dwell” happily!Home Maintenance & Enhancement SeriesHere’s the next installment of my series, “Your Home’s To-Do List.” I spotlight what home tasks you should tackle at this particular time of the year. In addition to my basic maintenance reminders, I also suggest ways to increase your home’s value and how to “Dwell” happily!Hazy hot days are a predictable summer forecast for the DC metro area. Are you and your home ready to take the heat?Hopefully, you’ve been prepping your home over the last several months with our previous monthly to-do check lists. Is your yard mulched? Did you power wash your deck or patio? If not, go back to April’s list for my must-do maintenance reminders!June is the time to welcome summer and I want yours to be filled with days of fun and relaxation as much as possible. Take the time to review the list below so that you can fully make the most of your home, your yard, and your time away from it all!Keep It CoolIf you haven’t had your AC checked out now is the time before you’re hit with no AC on the hottest day of the year. It happens, unfortunately.

• Get your AC system serviced professionally. Even if your system is relatively new, you want to get your heating and cooling system preventatively maintained at the change of seasons. This way you can avoid any emergency problems.
• Sign up for a yearly maintenance contract with an HVAC company. Having a service contract with a cooling and heating company means that they will reach out to you before the change of every season. That way your system will get serviced at the appropriate time. Plus, if you do have any emergencies in the middle of the season, your service call will be a priority and move to the top of their list.
• It’s not too late! Call a reputable heating and cooling contractor and get a summer service and at the same time set up a yearly maintenance contract. You won’t have to think about it again come heating season.  Email me for a list of recommendations.

Prevent Moisture and Mold Basements become musty and moist, especially during the humid summer months.  If you have a basement or live in a lower level condo, now is the time to tackle this problem before it gets out of hand. No one wants to deal with health concerns from mold and ruined items.

• Get a dehumidifier to remove moisture. Make sure to buy the right dehumidifier—either it comes with a bin you have to continue to empty or you can connect a tube to a drain and have it drain continuous. Whatever you do, don’t buy one that will overflow if you forget to empty it! Keep in mind dehumidifiers vary according to how many pints of moisture they can remove in 24 hours.
• Try to reduce the humidity levels to 40-50% at most.  Excess moisture causes mold and mildew, can warp wood, and cause condensation on walls. High humidity levels can damage your stuff — electronics, pianos, books and clothing and more. You know that musty-odor smell that clothes or books can get and is next to impossible to get rid of!
• Help prevent mold in your home. Too much moisture in the air is a health concern and can worsen your allergies and asthma. Mold is dangerous and having a dehumidifier running continuously can help reduce your home and basement’s moisture. Make sure you check humidity levels in your home and maintain proper levels of humidity.

Summertime Chimney Work Believe it or not, the summer can be a great time to get your chimney and fireplace swept or any work done on the inside or outside.  The busy time for chimney companies tends to be in the fall, so you can often negotiate a great discount because of the time of year! Give it a shot.Last Call for Yard WorkYour yard should be in pretty good shape by this time of the season if you’ve kept up with serious clean-up tasks. Remember that early June is a perfect time to make your yard more beautiful and time to finish up any preventative care. That way you’re set to lounge at will for the rest of summer!

• Have your trees trimmed…period. Summer storms and trees full of leaves with unstable branches can only bring disaster. No one wants a tree to crash though their home or hit their car. Call today to make that appointment if you haven’t done it for a couple of years.
• Add a splash of color with some annuals that can withstand the summer heat. Time to switch out the pansies and put in some colorful but hardy plants in containers and beds. Work with your local garden center to see what works best for your yard.
• Weed and clean up beds with early spring plantings. Early springtime annuals or perennials have stopped blooming. Now is the time to clear out those wilted leaves and dead plants to make room for late-blooming flowers.
• Good time to prune some flowering shrubs. Azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons can be pruned now that they are done blooming.
• Remove leaves and debris from all area drains, gutters, and window wells. Big summer rains could cause an overflow and flood your home. Prevent this from happening by doing a good final clean up around your home now.
• Keep Watering. As the temperature rises throughout the summer, keep watering your lawn, plant beds, and containers. Don’t do this in the middle of the hot sun, but in the early evening when it starts to cool down.

Summer Escape You can’t just leave on vacation without preparing your home for your absence so that it’s secure and safe.  If you’re someone who tends to be a last-minute packer before departure make sure you give your home prep more time!

• Make it seem like you are home with light timers and motion sensors to prevent break-ins. Program a timer so that lights (and even your TV!) can go on each evening for several hours. Get outside motion-sensitive lights in the front and back yards. Remember, to always check if your bulbs are working before you leave!
• Ask neighbors to take out garbage and recycling bins and return them the next day. Again, make it seem like you are home and not away.
• Alert trusted neighbors you are away so they can look out for packages, water houseplants, and double check to see if everything is okay. Give a good friend or neighbor a key so that they can do a walk-through of your home, especially if you are gone for a while. Burst water pipes can happen when no one is home to notice!
• Hire someone to mow your lawn and water your lawn and plants. Make arrangements before you leave.

Keep Mosquitos at BayWith many communities advising about dealing with mosquitos and the Zika virus, it’s good to be vigilant more than ever in your yard, patio, or deck … no matter how small. Here’s a brief recap of tips from our April “To-Do List.”

• Keep mosquitos from breeding in your yard. Mosquitos love standing water – any amount! So do your part to cut down on places where they can breed. Double check for standing water in your yard and any outside containers – such as wheelbarrows, flowerpots, buckets, watering cans, garbage cans, kids’ toys. Even the little bit in your gutter drain can lead to breeding. Store such items in your garage and shed as much as possible.
• Be proactive about mosquitos – both larvae and adults. Take protective measures for mosquito control to prevent larvae from flourishing. Look into non-toxic solutions such as nonchemical larvicides (Mosquito Dunks for larvae; Mosquito Bits for adults); goldfish, koi, and mosquitofish that prey on these pests; and solutions to make the water “move” more. Put the Dunks or pellets in your gutter drains to prevent larvae. Don’t forget to buy some citronella candles for when dining outside!

 DIY Projects in the SunHave you been waiting to strip, sand and stain a recent flea market find? What about spray painting a headboard or chair a bright new color? Warm sunny days are perfect for working on messy DIY projects that need ventilation. Any projects you couldn’t do in the winter or on a rainy spring weekend, can now be down outside. Fumes won’t bother you and items can dry in the sun.Remember to enjoy your summer and take on some of our suggestions that don’t stress you out. Here’s my handy PDF version of the Summer “Your Home’s To-Do List.”