Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

Outside

• Wash the exterior and check the paintwork (half a day)
  Peeling paint is the first stage of rot. Catch it before the wood is involved.
• Trim trees back from the roof and siding (2 hrs)
  Branches touching the roof deliver squirrels, hold moisture and remove shingles in a storm.
• Inspect and reseal the driveway (half a day)
  Water in a small crack freezes in winter and turns it into a large one.
• Check exterior grading (20 min)
  Ground should slope away from the house. It settles over the years and starts sending water the wrong way.
• Clean and inspect the deck and railings (1 hr)
  Push firmly on every railing. Loose rails are the injury nobody sees coming.

Inside

• Book the furnace service now (book ahead)
  Autumn is peak season. Summer gets you a better slot and often a better price.
• Check the attic on a hot day (20 min)
  Poor ventilation shows up as heat and damp. It is also when you will spot daylight through the roof.
• Test the sump pump (10 min)
  Pour a bucket of water in and confirm it starts. Discovering it is dead during a storm is the wrong time.

Every month

Ten minutes that prevent most of the expensive surprises.

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (5 min)
  Press and hold the test button until it sounds. Replace batteries yearly whether or not they chirp.
• Clean the range hood filter (15 min)
  Soak in hot water and degreaser. A clogged filter makes the fan useless and is a genuine fire risk.
• Run water in unused sinks and tubs (2 min)
  Keeps the trap full so sewer gas cannot come back up. Guest bathrooms are the usual culprit.
• Check under sinks for damp (5 min)
  Run a hand along the back of the cabinet. Slow leaks are cheap now and catastrophic in a year.
• Clean garbage disposal (5 min)
  Ice cubes and a cut lemon. Grinds off buildup and clears the smell.

Every three months

The jobs that quietly cost you money when skipped.

• Replace or clean HVAC filters (10 min)
  A blocked filter makes the system work harder and shortens its life. Monthly if you have pets.
• Test the water heater pressure relief valve (10 min)
  Lift the lever and let it snap back. If it does not reseat or does not release, call someone.
• Check the fire extinguisher gauge (2 min)
  Needle in the green. Also check nobody has moved it out of the kitchen.
• Inspect caulking around tubs and showers (10 min)
  Gaps let water behind the tile, which is the most expensive way to discover a small problem.
• Run a garage door safety check (5 min)
  Put an object in the path and confirm it reverses. Also check the auto-reverse on downward pressure.