5 ways to get your house summer ready
For many people, summer is their favourite time of year. It’s not hard to see why. The weather is mild outside and the days seem to go on forever. There are plenty of fun activities to enjoy during summertime, including barbequing, camping and swimming. With summer just around the corner, you may be ready for the balmy weather, but is your home? Here are some ways to get your house summer ready.
Repave the driveway
Is your driveway warn out? Summer is the perfect time to get it repaired. If your driveway is made of asphalt, depending on the shape it’s in, you’ll need to decide whether to go the cheaper route of getting a fresh topcoat or repaving it entirely. Repaving the driveway is the perfect DIY project you can do to save some money, but if you don’t have the time or expertise, you might want to leave it to the experts.
Clean up the gardens
Have weeds overtaken your flower beds? Cleaning up the gardens on your property is the perfect way to get your house summer ready. To avoid the heat, it’s best to do this in the morning when it’s cool outside. It’s also the perfect time to redefine your gardens and add some mulch to make sure your flowers survive the summer heat (don’t forget to regularly water them as well).
Reseed your lawn
Is your lawn looking a little worse for wear? Get your house summer ready by reseeding the front and back lawns. Before you do that, you’ll want to prep your lawn. You can do that by thatch racking it to remove any dead grass. After that, head to your local big box retailer to pick up some grass seed. After you plant it, make sure to water it regularly to ensure your lawn looks lush.
Clean out the gutters and eavestroughs
Springtime is usually a rainy season, so your gutters could be obstructed without you being the wiser. Use the nicer weather of the summer to clean out the gutters and eavestroughs. This is especially important if your gutters and eavestroughs are nearby a tree that sheds pine cones or needles. To clean them out, all you need is a ladder, some work gloves and a hand shovel. If you don’t feel like getting up on your roof, consider installing guards on your gutters and eavestroughs. Guards protect them from filling with debris, saving you from cleaning them.
Repair the roof
Your home’s roof is the first line of defense against the elements – rain, wind, sleet and snow. It’s also one of the most costly repairs a homeowner can face. To get your house summer ready, make sure your roof isn’t damaged. If you don’t feel like getting up on a ladder and assessing the roof yourself, you can inspect it from afar with a pair of binoculars. Look for any shingles that are lifting or cracked. Also look for any damaged metal flashing near the chimney or skylight (if you have one). Those are prone to leaking. Hire a roofer to repair your home before fall arrives.