With hot summer days on the horizon, homeowners must get their homes ready for increased humidity and higher temperatures. Before breaking out the floppy hat and sunscreen, don’t miss crucial pre-summer home maintenance tasks to make sure the house is ready for the hot summer sun.

Indoor Tasks

• Check HVAC filters: Prepare for pollen season with new HVAC filters. New filters can help control and alleviate allergy symptoms and respiratory diseases like asthma.
• Replace broken window panes and window screens: Fuzzy animals are not nature’s only inhabitants waiting for warmer weather. Insects like flies and mosquitos plague households when broken screens and panes allow them to slip through the cracks.
• Check insulation: Insulation maintains a home’s moderate temperate by retaining heat in the winter or staying cool in the summer. If insulation in the attic, basement or crawlspace is depleted, then be sure to calculate the home’s current level of insulation and supplement appropriately.
• Inspect the basements and subfloor: Don’t forget to inspect the home’s lower levels. A sturdy foundation ensures protection against colder weather, moisture and mold. Due to the drying nature of heat, hotter months can affect the integrity of a home’s foundation.

Exterior Tasks

• Inspect the roof: No one enjoys a leaky roof, so prevent summer mishaps by inspecting it. A simple visual inspection is fine but, if a closer look is required, call a roof inspector.
• Wash the porch: Prepare for family barbeques and outdoor family time by cleaning off the porch. It depends on the area but take a hose or pressure washer to the surface to clean it in no time.
• Caulk around drains, door and windows: Replace or repair old caulk to prevent unwanted insects, moisture and mold from creeping into the home.
• Inspect outdoor structures: Shaky railings and cracked porches are unsafe and unattractive. Spruce up the area by updating the damaged parts.
• Look for termite damage: A word no homeowner wants to hear – termites. It is time to face that fear and look for termite damage near the foundation, floors and ceilings. According to Terminix, some signs include discarded termite wings, drywood termite droppings, damaged wood or blisters in wood flooring.

Landscaping + Beyond

• Trim and prune plants: Prepare for summer blooms by trimming trees and pruning bushes. This will make way for the new blooms waiting to burst forth.
• Water wisely: Water the grass and other plants wisely. The sun can burn wet leaves and quickly ruin newly sprouted vegetables and fruits.
• Refrain from overfertilizing: The grass is no longer greener on the other side. Overfertilizing may seem like a sure-fire way to have a beautiful lawn but it can result in patchy growth patterns.
• Inspect yard fixtures: Inspect yard fixtures like fountains and birdbaths for any cracked paint.
• Pressure wash surfaces: Clean grime off walkways and driveways using a pressure washer. A high-pressured water pump will knock off stubborn dirt and caked-on dead insects in no time.

Pre-summer home maintenance is crucial to maintaining the integrity of your home. If some tasks on the annual pre-summer home maintenance checklist seem overwhelming, start small. Check off one item at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed. It is important to remember that seasons change gradually, not immediately. By the time summer arrives, the house will already be prepared to face what is yet to come.

Explore new home opportunities from SR Homes throughout Clarke, Cherokee, Forsyth and Oconee counties by visiting www.SRHomes.com/communities.