Get Your Home Summer-Ready
June Home Maintenance Tips
With all the summer fun comes heat and humidity which can be hard on a home … and your energy bills! Here’s your list of home maintenance tips for this month as we launch into the hottest time of the year here in Nashville.
Get your HVAC serviced.
Now is definitely NOT the time to save money on getting your HVAC serviced. Unless you particularly like being hot and sweaty, that is. So if you haven’t already, get that HVAC professional scheduled! The climate, environment and constant working is hard on your heating/cooling system. So to keep it performing optimally, it needs regular service, inspection and cleaning. All to keep you nice and cool inside in the summer heat.
Stop mold before it starts.
With the high humidity of summer, comes moisture in places like your crawl space and basement. And we all know that a dark place + humidity can amount to some very unwelcome organic growth. So keep an eye on these spaces and do what you can to keep humidity levels at a reasonable level. Things like: ensuring you have a vapor barrier and ventilation in your crawl space, using a hygrometer (humidity meter) to monitor humidity levels and getting a de-humidifier for your basement.
Eradicate pests.
Warm weather draws out all the creepy-crawlies. Most are more an annoyance than anything, but some can be particular troublesome for your home! Think wood-destroying insects. It can be helpful to have a pest control company providing regular service, however here are some things you can do on your own as well.
Trim shrubs or bushes that touch your home’s exterior (which can harbor wood-destroying insects such as termites and carpenter ants).
Swap mercury vapor outdoor lightbulbs with yellow sodium vapor ones, which are less attractive to insects such as mosquitoes, moths, and beetles.
Keep bird feeders at least 25 feet from your house—spilled seeds can attract rodents.
Stop mosquitoes before they hatch by eliminating all sources of standing water on your property.
Keep your fridge frosty.
Your fridge and freezer are particularly vulnerable in the summer heat. To keep them running smoothly, clean condenser coils—which help the unit stay cool by releasing heat from the compressor—and be sure to remove dirt, pet hair, and any nasty food that’s lodged there.
Adapted from Realtor.com’s article on “June Tune-Ups your Home Needs.”