3 Home Maintenance Tips For Austin Summers

During the summer, your biggest worry should be about how many guests are coming to your deck party, and not how to repair a rotted deck or a broken appliance. Prevention is the key to summer home maintenance in Austin. When you inspect and fix little issues you see, you can avoid larger, more expensive problems down the line. Here’s 3 home maintenance tips for summer that help you stay in control of your home’s maintenance before big problems occur.

1. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Summer is a great time in Austin to increase your home’s energy efficiency so that you can keep the heat out and your energy bills low. Begin by inspecting your windows and doors for leaks that let air through. Add weatherstripping to doors or replace cracked weatherstripping if you feel air coming through. Inspect your windows’ caulking for any missing pieces or cracks and replace it if needed.

You can also lower your energy bill by installing an energy efficient window treatment like plantation shutters - and potentially get a tax credit. Polywood® faux wood plantation shutters lower air transfer through your windows. They’re 70% more energy efficient than traditional wooden shutters and 1600% more energy efficient than aluminum blinds.

2. Spruce Up Your Patios And Porches

If you want to host parties on your porch or patio this summer, make sure it’s in tip-top shape for your guests. Start by checking your deck or patio for safety. Look underneath to see if there are any supports, boards, or stairs that should be replaced because they’re rotting or broken. Then seal or stain your deck and patio to make it look like new again and shield it from the relentless summer sun and rain.

Once you’ve replaced or repaired any broken boards and areas and stained your patio, it’s time to make it shine. Add interest to the windows and doors attached to your patio and porch by adding window treatments like sidelight shutters or plantation shutters for your sliding door or french doors. Then enhance your porch and patio with new patio furniture or perhaps even a fire pit. The last step is to landscape the edges of your patio or porch to make it more colorful.

3. Maintain Large Appliances

Broken or leaky appliances can disrupt your fun summer plans. Here’s a list of things to do to maintain your major appliances and keep them running smoothly:

● Refrigerator. Clogged refrigerator coils can increase your energy bill by making your fridge work harder. It’s easy to vacuum them out. Start by unplugging your refrigerator and then use the crevice tool on your vacuum (or a coil cleaning brush attachment) to vacuum out the coils.

● Dishwasher. Inspect your dishwasher for any leaks or backed up water. Then deep clean and deodorize it by running a cycle with a cup of vinegar. Finally, empty and clean the filter (located under the spray arms in most models) with soap and water.

● Washer and dryer. Inspect your washing machine hoses for any leaks, cracks, or bulges. If needed, replace the hoses. Once a year, you should clean out your dryer hose and exterior vent or pay a professional to do the job.

Enjoy Your Summer

By maintaining your home and appliances, you’ll be able to have a relaxing summer. If you want to give your home a beautiful look this year with window treatments for your patios, living rooms, or kitchen, browse through our idea gallery and then call us for a free in-home consultation at 512-549-6077. We’ll show you all your window treatment options in Austin and do all the work and installation so you can sit back and enjoy your summer.