3 Tips for Summer Maintenance

Its been a very busy summer with a low inventory in Huntsville and the surrounding areas. According to the local board of realtors ,its the lowest inventory since 2006. We are now in the full swing of summer with the warm temperatures and sudden downpours of rain. There are many many items to note for Summer upkeep around the house, but here are a few.

This one may seem like an easy one, but we can forget when we are rushing in the house to get into the air conditioning or away from a sudden downpour. Make sure gutters are cleared of all debris and have no leaks. Clogged gutters can lead to standing water which are breeding pools for mosquitoes. It can also overflow at areas of inconvenience such as over the front porch when you are trying to get in or out of the house.

Keep the bushes around the house trimmed. We may just walk by bushes without thinking of them, but when left unattended new branches can sprout like weed like efficiency when not noticed over a short period of time. These errant branches can cover up windows, sidewalks, or access to crawlspaces and hose faucets.

Lastly, keep the foundation around the house at a moist and consistent state during times of extreme heat and dryness. Either due to high summer temperatures or other vegetation like tree roots drying out surrounding moisture from the ground surrounding the foundation. Extreme dryness around the foundation can lead to settling which can possibly lead to cracks. Too much heat and too much cold, too dry and too wet are all negatives. As the saying goes, keep in moderation. For more information please seek out local foundation professionals for more detailed advice.

Autumn has Arrived, Time for Maintenance

According to the calendar, Autumn has arrived. Now is the time to take care of a few home maintenance details.

Here are a few possible tasks that might apply to you.

1. Clean out the gutters. With leaves falling heavy this year from not only your own trees but neighbors surrounding you, those gutters can get clogged pretty quickly.

2. Rake those leaves. Get those leaf piles off the ground and onto the street for pickup. Leaf piles if left long enough can be new homes for insects, rodents, and in some cases other wildlife like snakes and foxes.

3. Make sure the HVAC is ready for winter. Does it need a maintenance inspection? Does it need cleaning out? Its your decision, only you can judge these things.

4. Be ready to store your garden hose and cover your outdoor faucet before any freezes occur.

5. Remove dead plants and or prune and trim.

6. If need be, have your chimney inspected, cleaned out, and well maintained.

7. Check batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

Remember these are only a few maintenance items that can be done around your home. As always your home may vary and have a few less or a few more.

Other Voices on Home Maintenance

In the past, we have explained about home maintenance. This time, we decided to act as a coordinator to help get other voices on home maintenance. These are articles & checklists from both well known and maybe not so well known stores of information. Some information may be repetitive, some you may have not seen before. But there's always more information on maintenance on the web. Remember though this is not the be all and end all of maintenance. Just ideas and thoughts for your consideration.

House Logic
HUD
Bob Vila
For Dummies
Lowes

Also just in this afternoon, Huntsville has been named by NerdWallet the top place for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) grads. Beating out other top 5 entrants, San Jose, Boulder, Chapel Hill, & Seattle.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

A Casual Look Around The House

Today a short post. In these quick and few cool days of Summer we have currently, why not take a casual look around the house.  This would fall into the maintenance category. Does anything look out of place? High grass starting to surround your HVAC? High bushes creeping over the window to prevent you from looking out into your yard? Yard obstructions which prevent you from seeing out into the street when backing up? Or perhaps a few holes in the ground which when walking along can get you a sprained ankle or worse? Check along the exterior window sills and decking for deterioration. Home maintenance does not have to be an intense study all of the time, sometimes it just takes a casual look when doing other activities.  Keeping your home in good working and kept condition can not only keep your home in great shape, but also save you money in the long run either for yourself or if you decide to sell your home and the home inspector comes around.

Home maintenance isn't something that can be put off. Its taking care of problems today so we don't have disasters tomorrow.

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Home Tips

Just a few tips for a homeowner to think about or remember.

If going away for a while remember to have someone keep an eye on your house for security, but also the lawn. Don't let the house look derelict.

After a rain and showers, take a look if there is standing water in the crawlspace afterwards. Is it well ventilated so there won't be a constant water presence. Contact a home inspector, contractor, etc for additional help in what to do if the water becomes a mainstay.

Make sure the surrounding area of a HVAC unit is clear and any near shrubs are pruned to give the unit ample space.

Remember to change your air filters routinely, no good letting pollen particles freely floating around the house.

Power wash the driveway and sidewalk, after months on end of collecting dust, dirt, and anything else its nice to see the brightness underneath after a good cleaning.

Let your sinks run and check if there's any leaks underneath in the cabinets. Sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us or below us.

Set an important date for the replacement of batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Jan 1 or July 4, or even Oct 31. Pick a day you'll remember and it'll be come routine.

Clean your windows, yes exterior as well as interior. Its nearly Summer and time to get all the natural light in.

Remember to keep the blades on the lawnmower not too low, we've seen many a commercial lawn cutting service burn grass by cutting way too deep.

Everyone have a great Memorial Day!


Today's Tip: Remember the 2014 Cotton Row Run is Monday, so everyone go on and cheer the runners.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes