In our last post, Caring for your Enchanted Home Exterior in Summer, we detailed our top suggested maintenance tips for your home exterior. A properly cared for exterior will help avoid leaks and weather catastrophes. However, the interior is where we spend the most time and gets more visible wear.

Enchanted Homes wants to help you take a proactive approach to homeownership with this seasonal series of blog posts. Read along to ensure you have checked off your summer preventative maintenance.

HVAC

1. Confirm that you have service on your HVAC system. Have your HVAC unit inspected and maintained regularly to ensure proper function. Maintenance will include cleaning drain lines and coils, checking refrigerant, searching for leaks, cleaning the outdoor condenser and heat pump.  We recommend our family to get a maintenance package to prolong the life of this highly important equipment in your home. It needs a checkup as often as your car needs oil!
2. Replace your HVAC filters. HVAC filters should be replaced every 3-6 months to extend the life and efficiency of your unit, lower utility bills, and ensure clean air. We like to change them right after the pollen has cleared around May, but you may already have a schedule in place.

Home Interior

1. Refresh caulking. Walk your home with a caulk gun. Inspect window, door, and baseboard trim for loosened, cracked, or peeling caulk. Maintaining caulk reduces bugs, keeps moisture out of walls, increases energy efficiency, and helps maintain the aesthetics of the home with natural, expected flexion throughout annual weather changes. If there are gaps, remove carefully with a utility knife, pulling the caulk away. Be sure to purchase paintable caulk if you plan to repaint.
2. Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. It is recommended to test detectors every 3 months. You may need to replace batteries.
3. Lubricate garage doors, door handles, and hinges. Use WD-40 or another household oil, graphite, or silicone lubricant, on all garage doors, handles, and hinges.
4. Turn on ceiling fans. Ceiling fans help move cool air around the home. Ensure they are rotating in a counter-clockwise position to push air down. Fan use will keep your home cool and reduce your power bill by helping the HVAC move cool air around the home.
5. Vacuum your dryer hose. Remove or vacuum lint from your dryer hose as excess is a fire hazard. Thousands of home fires are started by dryer hose lint each year. Additionally, you’ll notice your clothes drying quicker once the vent is clean.
6. Clean refrigerator condenser coils. Unplug and pull out the fridge. Most refrigerator coils are located at the bottom of the back side. Brush coils with a condenser cleaning coil brush. Wipe the coils with a damp cloth. Sweep or vacuum debris. Move the refrigerator back. Replace filters as needed.
7. Check your dishwasher for leaks and clean the filter. Empty and hand-wash the filter found in the bottom of the dishwasher. Check for any leaks. Leaks are often simply loosened bolts and can be fixed easily. Discreet dishwasher leaks often cause floor rot and mold growth, so it’s great to proactively check for these.
8. Regularly dust, vacuum, and immediately wipe up spills inside your home. Mold grows in the presence of dust, dirt, and moisture so regularly wipe up spills and debris.
9. Touch up Paint. It is great to have spare paint to touch up chips, scratches, and repair holes. If you choose to color match your paint, ensure you know the color name and finish of the paint. Even differing paint brands may appear noticeable. A magic eraser is an excellent tool to remove marks and scuffs from paint and trim. The life of interior paint is 7-10 years, so perhaps you are in need of a refresh.
10. Reseal granite. It is recommended to reseal granite at least once annually to prevent wear from cleaners. You can use products from your local hardware store or hire a professional.

All these tasks can be completed by your local, hired professionals, or, done yourself with some online research and a small equipment investment. The preventative maintenance will help extend the life and satisfaction of your home.  Call Enchanted Homes office at (864) 895-0601 for any questions and stay tuned for our fall preventative maintenance posts. Have a lovely summer with your family!