Five Steps to Get Your Home in Shape for Summer

After your career, your house is probably your biggest asset -- so it pays to take care of it. Here are five steps to get your home in shape for summer from Laura Rowley:

1. Clean your gutters and inspect for damage caused by ice damming.

2. Inspect the roof.

3. Inspect siding, paint, and caulking around openings, and cracks in brick and mortar.

4. Make sure all windows and doors open and close smoothly.

5. Change your furnace filters.

My thoughts on these:

1. Don't get me started on ice damming and damage. I fight ice most of the winter. And believe me, we have plenty of it with 70 inches of snow a year. Anyway, I do clean out my gutters every spring.

2. We got a new roof a couple years back and I do a long-distance visual inspection of it. I try to stay off it as much as I can.

3. Yep, I do this every year and fill any cracks with caulk.

4. Yes, do this as well.

5. I change our furnace filter every other month or so. I don't want to be breathing any more dust than needed, plus I want the furnace/AC to run as efficiently as possible. And since filters are relatively cheap, why not replace then regularly?

6. In addition to these, I also do the following:

• Prune trees to keep them from touching the house. I have one in particular that keeps wanting to become part of my home.
• Put out ant traps and sticky insect catchers in the garage.
• Buy my first round of lawn fertilizer for the summer and apply it.
• Change the oil in the lawn mower and sharpen the blade.
• Check my garden tools and sharpen as needed.
• Buy the supplies (fertilizer, mulch, etc.) to get the garden ready.

Whew! I'm tired just listing all of this (and I'm sure I forgot a ton of things.) What would you add to the list?

Comments

[Dean in Des Moines]

Changing furnace filters that often may be less efficient than you think. Filters are designed to be better filters after trapping some dust and dirt. How often they should be changed depends, of course, on how long it takes them to clog. You may wish to consider following the manufacturers recommendations more closely, since you state that air quality is your greatest concern. Plus you'll save a few Lincolns.