Indoor Summer Maintenance Projects (and safety tips)

With Fall right around the corner, this is a great time to make sure some of the “little things” indoors are in tip top shape. You may not realize it, but some of the simplest fixes, if delayed, can lead to big problems. Here are five tips many people don’t think about. Make sure you check into these potential problem areas before it’s too late.
 
1. Check your Dryer Vent
 
If you’re like most people and you have the convenience of a clothes dryer indoors, it is very important to be sure that dryer vent is regularly cleared out. Symptoms of a blocked vent include clothes taking longer than normal to dry and (yikes) a hot burning smell when you dry your clothes. Blocked dryer vents are a major source of house fires! You can purchase a kit at most hardware stores fairly inexpensively.
 
Be sure to include vent cleaning as part of your regular indoor maintenance routine. AND never leave your dryer to run while you are away or while you are sleeping. Safety First!!
 
2. Clean or replace your air filters
 
If summer air conditioning is bringing on the sneezles and sniffles, maybe your air filter is to blame! Standard replacement/cleaning suggestions for your home air filter range from every 6 months to one year if you have no pets or allergies to every 30 days if you are a pet owner or allergy sufferer.
 
If you have one of the fancy cleanable kind, now is a great time to take it outside, lean it up against a convenient tree and hose it down! If your system uses a disposable filter, consider replacing it now before it’s time to close the doors and windows to crank up the heater this winter.
 
And be sure to add a cleaning/replacement schedule to your list of home maintenance items so your filter is clean before you begin to suffer.
 
 3. Hardwood floors
 
What better time to renew the finish on those hardwood floors?
 
Every wood floor needs to be refinished periodically, but the trick is to get to the job before the old finish wears through. If you do, you can apply a fresh coat without messy sanding. You can extend the life of your floor by decades if you’re able to refinish before you have to sand.
 
If your floor is in good condition, repair any scratches and apply a hardwood floor refinisher. If it’s really scratched up, you may need to call in a professional to buff the floor and apply a fresh finish.
 
If you put it off, the result can be an expensive sanding job, or you may even need to replace the flooring!
 
4. Check for appliance recalls
 
Consumer Reports recently announced during a recent 3 year period over 150,000 faulty appliances caused 3,670 injuries, 150 deaths and over $547 million in damage. Many of these appliances had been recalled by the manufacturer!!
 
Take a moment now and check your appliances for recall by going here:  http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/
 
You’ll be glad you did!
 
5. Check for leaks
 
It’s that time of year again! Look for leaky areas under your sinks, dark spots under pipes, inside cabinets, stains on ceilings and drips.
 
And it’s more than just water damage that’s a concern. Termites and certain kinds of ants LOVE to munch on soggy wet stuff.
 
If you’d prefer not to be sticking your head under cabinets looking for leaks (and or munchy bugs) we’re here to help! Call in your favorite Fix-It Professional for our August Special Price and you can enjoy the last few weeks of summer and let us do the work.
 
Read on for our August Special!

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Outdoor Summer Maintenance Projects … And Then You Relax!

Ah Summer! A time to relax in the shade of that big ole tree in your favorite hammock. But before you pull out your favorite book and pour yourself a cold beverage, you may want to consider something: spending a few minutes a day over the next two weeks doing some simple maintenance may save you time, a headache and some last minute expenses!
 
Here are some suggestions for chores that can be done in an hour or less – or in short increments – that will make your life easier in the fall and winter.
 
1. Deck TLC
 
Whether it’s a front deck or a back one, proper maintenance and repair will keep your outdoor living space fresh and inviting. Summer is a great time to inspect your deck for damage. Are there any nails sticking up? How about the floor boards? All good and solid? Are your railings nice and sturdy? Once you’ve inspected and done necessary repairs, have a look and see if maybe a good power wash would make it sparkle. Or maybe it’s time for a fresh coat of paint.
 
Check underneath for signs of unwanted guests. Rodents, spiders, and termites find the undersides of outdoor areas particularly attractive. Regular inspection can prevent these pests from taking up permanent residence.
 
2. Spruce up the exterior
 
While you’ve got that power washer out, this is a great time to clean the exterior of your home. Using a mild soap, you can turn a hot day into a fun project by washing the exterior of your home with a jet stream of water. You can blast away bird droppings, spider webs and general gunk with the power washer – and it is actually kind of fun! Use this opportunity to inspect your homes’ exterior to make sure no additional repairs will be needed before winter.
 
Once your home has had its bath and is looking its best, you can then work on the windows. Or you can save this project for another sunny day.
 
3. Clean out those gutters
 
While the weather is nice is the perfect time to get those gutters cleaned out and ready for the rainy season. Better yet, consider installing a screen or gutter guard over the gutters so you never have to clean them out again!! A few safety tips though:
 
First, be sure not to lean your ladder on the gutters. Your gutters are meant to let water drain away from your roof to prevent water damage. Leaning a ladder against the gutter and then climbing that ladder will lead to damage which will prevent your gutters from doing their job. Second, take care not to lean the ladder on or near any electrical wires (for obvious reasons – we hope). Finally never hang on a gutter. It was meant to support water and leaves…not you!
 
Once you are safely able to reach the gutters, scoop or dig any leaves or debris out of the gutters and then flush them with a hose.
 
Do not over extend yourself. If you don’t feel safe doing this (or any maintenance task), then you probably aren’t. Call in your favorite Fix-It Professional for help doing this important task.
 
Next time we’ll talk about summer interior repair. Meanwhile, is all this summer maintenance making your feel a bit overwhelmed? If the gutters, the deck or any of the suggestions we’ve made here feel like a bit too much (and really, you’d prefer to watch someone else take care of the job) we’re here to help! 
 
Read on for our August Special!

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