Happy August! As the transition to fall begins, taking proactive steps now will ensure your home remains comfortable and efficient throughout the cooler months. Here is a guide to essential indoor and outdoor maintenance tasks to tackle this month.
Indoor Maintenance
- Service Your HVAC System: Schedule a professional tune-up and replace your air filters to ensure your furnace is ready for its first run. It’s much better to discover that your furnace is faulty when you don’t need it rather than when you do.
- Test Safety Detectors: Check the batteries and expiration dates on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.4
- Deep Clean Carpets: Removing summer dust and allergens now provides a fresh environment for the indoor season ahead.
- Buy Candles: In case your power goes out, it’s a great idea to stock up on scentless candles.
- Fireplace Maintenance: If you have a fireplace, make sure to clean out your fireplace for fire hazards. A great idea is to also hire a professional to both clean out and inspect.
- Flip Your Mattress: In order to avoid your mattress sagging, rotating your mattress is a great idea
- Clean Dryer Vents: Blocked dryer vents can be a serious fire hazard, and as the winter months approach, you’ll only use your more.
Outdoor Maintenance
- Inspect the Roof and Gutters: Clear out summer debris and check for loose shingles to prevent leaks during autumn rains.
- Seal Gaps and Cracks: Examine windows and doors for drafts. Apply fresh caulk or weatherstripping to keep heat in and pests out.
- Lawn Care: August is the ideal time for aerating and over-seeding your lawn to promote healthy growth in the spring.
- Wash Your Windows: Clean the exterior of your windows while it’s still warm! By keeping the windows clean now, it allows for you to stay warm with clean windows in the colder months.
- Store Away Any Lawn Stuff: Clean up your yard and take any equipment or outdoor furniture into sheds, garages, or your basement. It’s important to take care of your belongings so that you can keep them for years.
- Clean Your Grill: After you use your grill for the last time in the summer, make sure to clean your grill before storing it away for the winter. Clean the cooking grates, the undercarriage, clean the exterior of the grill as well.
- Prune Your Plants: It’s important to prep your plants, but only lightly. Excessive pruning can make plants grow to quickly, but light pruning
- Drain Outdoor Water Spigots: To make sure your water lines aren’t damaged, there are a few steps to take. Make sure to turn off the water lines, disconnect any and all hoses, drain the faucet, and if you are interested, possibly invest into spigots with insulated covers.
- Clean Out Your Closets: As cooler weather approaches, make sure to clean out your closets to allow for space for winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. It’s much better to have the space now, and fill it in later.
We hope this tips are super helpful! If you are interested in renovating your home, please contact us at (484) 452-5071, or visit our showroom at 8 Campbell Avenue, Havertown, PA!
