Homeowner’s Summer Upkeep
The early days of summer bring warm breezes to Portland and it is a great time to do a little summer upkeep that will keep your home looking like new. The Homeowner’s Association maintains the common areas of your community. However, you are responsible for the continued appearance of your lawn and home. Not to worry, Arbor homes are built to last and easy to maintain.
Summer Upkeep in Your Yard and Landscape
To maintain its health, the lawn and planter strips need to be watered routinely and grass should be cut regularly. Replace any plants that might have died before it gets hot out and be sure to give new lawns and plants plenty of water until they are established. Fertilizing your plants and lawn a couple of times over the summer will help keep your landscape green and healthy. Inspect the spray heads of your irrigation system to be sure they are watering your lawn and planter strips and not wasting water on your sidewalk and driveway. Note that drip systems do not necessarily show water at the surface when they are working. If the ground feels damp at finger-depth, the plant is getting enough water.
Summer Upkeep of your Home’s Exterior
If your home, driveway, and walkways need to be pressure washed, summer is the perfect time for this home maintenance task. While cleaning the outside of your home, be sure that your gutters are clean and that the downspouts are draining freely. Do a visual inspection of your home’s roof to be sure no shingles are loose or broken. This can be done from the ground with a pair of binoculars, so stay safe. Inspect your home’s siding for broken panels and have them replaced if necessary.
Upkeep of your Home’s Interior
Summer is a good time to clean the inside of your home thoroughly. Warmer days will allow you to open the windows. This is also a good time for painting interior walls and cleaning carpets, floors, and windows. Deep clean all of your kitchen appliances, including the oven, refrigerator, the cabinets, floors, and light fixtures.
Upkeep of your Home’s Systems
The filter on your heating and air conditioner system must be replaced twice per year, in the Spring when you adjust the furnace dampers for air conditioning flow, and again in the Fall when adjusting for the heating season. Write the date of installation on the end of the filter facing you when you open the panel, along with your favorite website to order it from. This is a special, high-performance filter, and will not be available at the local builder supply store. Online, they run about $45 each, and we recommend you always have your next one there and ready. When you replace it, order the next one right away. This will help keep your system running optimally, improve energy performance by allowing the free-flow of air, and assist with air quality. Scheduling a tune-up on your system as a summer upkeep task will keep it running more efficiently and help catch problems before they start. When you have your furnace serviced, ask if the air filter is included. Usually, it is not. Water heaters last longer if they are drained once a year because sediment in the bottom of the tank causes them to lose efficiency. It is not necessary to totally drain the tank, just the bottom four or five gallons will flush it. Be sure to refill the tank slowly. Turbulence from a full water flow may damage the mineral rod, producing more sediment in the bottom of the tank.
Keeping your Home Looking New
Regular maintenance will keep your home looking new and can head off costly repairs before they happen. Your high quality Arbor Home will last for decades if cared for properly. Contact us today if you have questions about maintaining your house and an Arbor Homes representative will be glad to help you.