By August, most homeowners are not thinking about home maintenance. The spring projects are finished, the yard is established, and fall still feels a little way off. But mid-to-late summer is actually a good time to look at a few parts of your home that have been working hard for the last several months.
You do not need a giant checklist. Start with these three things.
Clean Your Windows, Screens and Window Frames
This is more than washing the glass.
Colorado wind, dust, pollen and summer rain can leave a surprising amount of debris around windows. Remove the screens if you can and wash them gently with soap and water. While they are out, vacuum or wipe the window tracks, sills and frames and look closely at the caulking and seals around the windows.
Pay attention to cracking, gaps, peeling caulk or areas where water appears to have been sitting. Those small openings can eventually allow air or moisture into places you do not want it. Summer is also a good time to make these repairs because you can address them before colder weather arrives.
If you have windows that are difficult to open, will not lock correctly or show condensation between the panes, make a note of those too. Cleaning the windows gives you a chance to actually inspect them rather than waiting until there is an obvious problem.
Give Your Cooling System a Midseason Check
Your air conditioner or heat pump has probably been working hard for several weeks, which makes August a good time for a simple check.
Start with the air filter. ENERGY STAR recommends inspecting, cleaning or replacing HVAC filters regularly because a dirty filter restricts airflow and can make the equipment work harder. Also look at the outdoor unit and make sure leaves, weeds and other debris are not blocking airflow around it.
If your system has a condensate drain, check around it for standing water, dripping where it should not be dripping or signs that the line may be backing up. A clogged condensate drain can eventually cause water damage, so this is one of those small things that is worth catching early.
You do not need to start taking your HVAC system apart. The goal is simply to notice whether it is operating normally. If it is suddenly running constantly, cooling unevenly, making a new noise or producing unexpected moisture, those are good reasons to have it looked at before you actually need the system repaired.
Walk Around Your House After a Good Rain
This may be one of the simplest home maintenance habits you can develop.
After one of our heavier summer rains, walk around the exterior of your house. Look at where the water is going. Check the gutters and downspouts for overflow and make sure downspouts are actually moving water away from the house instead of depositing it directly beside the foundation.
Then look up. You do not need to climb onto the roof. From the ground, look for gutters that appear loose, damaged shingles you can see, staining on siding or trim, peeling paint and anything else that looks different than it did earlier in the summer. Gutters, downspouts and exterior drainage are part of the system that keeps water away from the structure of your home, so small problems here are worth paying attention to.
This is also a good opportunity to check exterior doors, window trim and other openings for cracked or deteriorating caulk. Colorado's sun and temperature swings can be hard on exterior materials, and catching deterioration early is generally much easier than addressing water intrusion later.
The Point Is Not to Find a Project
Home maintenance does not always mean spending a weekend fixing something.
Sometimes it is simply cleaning something well enough to see its condition, checking a system while it is still working and noticing a small change before it becomes a larger repair.
An hour spent looking at your windows, cooling system and exterior drainage in August can give you a much better understanding of how your home is holding up after another Colorado summer. And when you know what is happening with your home, you can decide what actually needs attention now and what can simply go on the list for later.
