Summertime Home Maintenance Advice

Home maintenance is a crucial part of home ownership, it's important to inspect your home regularly, inside and out. Make your own checklist, customized to your home. Your checklist will help familiarize you with changing conditions and give you the chance to make repairs early and save money.

Gutters and Downspouts
Check for debris in gutters and downspouts, make sure all downspout extensions stay in the down position so roof drainage will not pond along the foundation of your home.

Sprinkler Systems and Hose Bibs
While you activate your sprinkler system, be sure to check all valves above ground and underground to be sure there are no leaks. Repair all leaks prior to using the system to prevent damage to your home. Exterior faucets (hose bibs) should be checked for leaks as well, if any attachments were connected to the hose bib during the winter months, these attachments could have caused the hose bib to freeze and split (break) inside the wall. This could cause major damage inside your home when the hose bib is turned on. The hose bibs will generally not leak until turned on, most of the time you cannot see this from the exterior of your home.

Grading and Drainage Prior to Landscaping
If you're in a new home, you may not have had an opportunity to install your landscaping. When snow melts or spring rains occur, the water that drains across the lot will carry silt (fine dirt) to the bottom of the drainage swale. When this happens, the drainage patterns will change causing water to back up and not drain off your lot properly. Before installing your landscaping, it is important to re-establish the drainage patterns on your lot. Be sure to check for any settling that may have occurred that could cause water to collect near your homes foundation.

NEVER Over-Water!
Over-watering causes most of the problems with drainage, not only for your home, but also in most cases, your neighbor's home as well.

Sump Pits and Pump Operation
Sump pits are intended to collect water from foundation perimeter drains. If there is a pump installed in the pit and no water is collecting in the pit, be sure to check the pump to be sure it is working. The easiest way to test your pump is to fill the sump pit to the point it will activate the pump, if the pump does not work replace it.

Decks and Fencing
To extend the life of your wood decks and fences you should power wash , stain and seal them. This should be done at least once every year, usually in the spring or early summer. This will help preserve the beauty of the wood and extend the life of your deck or fence.

Exterior Finishes
Paint takes a lot of abuse from the sun and the elements. It is important to repaint your home's exterior when it is needed. Repaint before you say to yourself "I should have painted last year." By then, it may be too late. When you can see exterior paint start to peel or oxidize, it will cost you more to paint your home than if you used preventive planning.

We all think we can save a lot of money if we "do it ourselves." And even if you are handy around the house, there may be some jobs you just shouldn't try to handle yourself. For the larger jobs or to simply take care of that large list of small projects, you may want to consider hiring a professional like Mr. Handyman for handyman help. Consider what one satisfied customer had to say about Mr. Handyman; "My husband and I thought we could take care of the routine maintenance, but it was taking up all of our evenings and weekends. One call to Mr. Handyman took care of everything. Our projects were done right, and we're enjoying our weekends!"