Home Maintenance Checklist for your Home
For most homeowners, climbing onto the roof to clean gutters or snaking into the crawl space to cover pipes isn’t exactly the ideal way to spend the weekend. However, your home is your biggest investment and it does need a little TLC every now and then.
To protect your investment, routine home maintenance is essential. Lee Company is happy to offer this seasonal home maintenance checklist to help you stay in front of household needs throughout the year.
If the checklist feels like yet another “to do” list, and home maintenance really isn’t your favorite thing, no worries! We’ve got you covered there too. Lee Company offers a thorough Home Maintenance Plan for the many systems that work together to create a happy home. Plus, our professional handymen enjoy a good “to do” list!
Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
When spring rolls around, many of us are ready to open the windows and start changing our wardrobes. While you enjoy the fresh air, be sure your home is ready for rising temperatures and humidity.
Exterior Home Maintenance in the Spring
Clean your gutters
Your gutters control the amount of rainwater that flows over your home. When working properly, gutters protect your roof, siding, and foundation from becoming too saturated and damaged. A clogged gutter can allow rainwater to seep through your roof or – even worse – shift your foundation. Your gutters should be cleaned twice a year or more if you live in an area with a lot of trees.
Add curb appeal with paint touch-ups
A clean coat of exterior paint improves the look of your home while also protecting it from weathering. Every spring, inspect your home exterior for chipped or peeling paint. It may be time to add a fresh coat of paint, or just touch up certain spots. Take a good look at railings, window frames, porches – sometimes painting a small area a new color can really make the beauty of your home pop!
Check your generator
Having a home generator ensures that you have power in the event of an outage – always a possibility with spring storms. You should have your generator serviced at least once a year. Even if you have never had to run your generator, it is wise to know it runs properly in case an emergency does occur.
Interior Home Maintenance in the Spring
Look for leaks
Springtime is the perfect time to give your pipes a good inspection. Check under sinks for cracks, leaks, or signs of water damage. Look around at the walls and ceilings in your house to be sure pipes aren’t broken and leaking into your walls. Typically, you can spot a leak from water stains appearing on the ceiling or along your walls. If you need help, the expert plumbers at Lee Company are standing by.
Check your AC
For homes with central heating and air conditioning, it’s important to do HVAC maintenance in the spring. As the weather heats up, you want to be sure your air conditioner is functioning properly. A Lee Company HVAC professional will inspect your ductwork, clean the furnace, clean the compressor, and clear vents.
Summer Home Maintenance Checklist
Summer is the season for relaxing and enjoying your home and yard. Crossing these chores off your list will help ensure you can get the most out of your summer, whether you’re planting a garden outside or hosting a Fourth of July party inside.
Exterior Home Maintenance in the Summer
Test your sprinklers
When spring showers end, your plants and lawn need extra water. Now’s the time to test your sprinkler system to ensure it’s running properly. Call a landscaper if you are unsure of how to test your sprinklers or need further assistance in getting your yard ready for the summer. If you don’t have a sprinkler system and could use another outdoor faucet or two, let us know. Lee Company can take care of that, and make watering your lawn a lot easier.
Tackle those outside repairs
Walk around your house. Does the porch or deck need staining? Are there windows or door screens that need repair? How’s the patio holding up? Is now the time to build the compost bin or raised garden area you’ve been talking about? The summer is a great time for outside home improvement work.
Interior Home Maintenance in the Summer
Inspect your AC unit
It is important to inspect your AC unit regularly in the summer. AC filters should be replaced, on average, every three months, especially if you have been running the AC frequently. This also applies to homes with window units. If you prefer not to do these tasks on your own or require assistance, a Lee Company HVAC professional is happy to help.
Keep in mind, some appliances – like your refrigerator and freezer – may also be working harder in the summertime. Lee Company takes care of home appliances too!
Seal your driveway
Throughout the year, your driveway takes a beating from the elements. Cracks form and the concrete can begin to wither away unless properly maintained. The summer months are a great time to power wash and seal your driveway to help prevent damage. Taking the time to seal your driveway can save you money on concrete repairs.
Prepare for extreme heat
Intense heatwaves are inevitable in the summer. If you haven’t done this earlier, be sure your home is prepared for extreme temperatures. Check that weather stripping is in place on doors and windows and add drapes to windows that receive a lot of sun. If you have elderly or disabled neighbors, remember to check on them when heat waves occur!
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
As the days become shorter and start to cool down, it’s time to prepare your home for the approaching winter. Luckily, autumn months in the Southeast are typically mild and enjoyable.
Exterior Home Maintenance in the Fall
Handle that yard work
As the weather cools, trees begin to drop their leaves and plants start going dormant. This is a great time to plant perennials like peonies, columbine, and hydrangeas. These plants can handle the cooler temperatures and really add a nice touch to your yard when other plants are dormant. Raking is also a must-do chore in the fall. As trees drop their leaves, you’ll want to rake them up to keep your yard looking great.
Clean your gutters
Along with raking the leaves that clutter your yard, you’ll want to clean your gutters throughout the fall to ensure no clogs, leaks, or overflows occur.
Turn off the sprinklers
This is also a good time to shut down your yard’s sprinkler system. Most plants don’t require much water in the fall and winter, so keeping your sprinkler system on can do more harm than good. Be sure your system’s schedule is turned off and that all remaining water has been purged from the pipes to prevent freeze damage. Call your landscaper if you need assistance. And remember to disconnect your hoses!
Interior Home Maintenance in the Fall
Schedule an HVAC inspection
Doing a total HVAC system check can help ensure your home is heated efficiently during the fall and winter months. In addition, servicing the HVAC unit and ductwork helps keep the air in your house clean, and allows your HVAC system to run efficiently. Be sure to test your thermostat and make sure all vents are clear of any debris. Better yet, hire an HVAC technician to handle all the servicing and maintenance on your system.
Stop the drafts
Walk from room to room and check all doors and windows for any drafts. If you find a drafty area, adding caulk or weather stripping can fix the problem. Consider installing storm panels to windows and glass doors to help maintain your home’s inside temperature, and keep your HVAC system running efficiently.
Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
Most of us spend more time inside during the winter – we may tackle indoor home improvement projects now, but we’d rather do those outdoor chores during the spring and summer.
Exterior Home Maintenance in the Winter
Protect your plumbing
When water freezes in pipes, it can expand and lead to cracks in your plumbing. If a pipe breaks, the ice can melt and water may flood into your home, leading to even more problems. To avoid this, pipes under your house and outside should be properly insulated.
Get ready for those holiday lights
It’s fun to turn the outside of your home into a sparkling display for the holidays! Before you string the lights, consider whether another outdoor outlet would be useful. Lee Company’s professional electricians can take care of that. We want you to stay safe during the holidays.
Interior Home Maintenance in the Winter
Protect your indoor plumbing too
In addition to insulating outside pipes, there are steps you can take to prevent indoor plumbing problems caused by frozen pipes. Leave sink cabinets open to warm the pipes or let your faucet drip. If a pipe does burst or you experience a leak, be sure to call a professional plumber at Lee Company right away.
Replace your air filters
Make sure your heating system is running properly and keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. Replace your air filters every three months to ensure that your HVAC system runs efficiently and pushes out clean air.
Lee Company Home Maintenance Plans made for your home
Keep your home running smoothly with a Home Maintenance Plan from Lee Company. With a Home Maintenance Plan, you’ll receive four visits annually to service and maintain your plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems.
Plan members also receive discounts on service calls, parts, and labor; discounts on new installations and renovations; and priority service with no emergency service rates. Contact Lee Company to learn more about what our Home Maintenance Plan offers.
