6 Steps for Keeping Your Home in Good Shape this Summer

Texas homeowners face challenges that include extremely dry conditions punctuated by brief, torrential downpours. Here are the crucial outdoor maintenance tasks you should perform this summer to protect your home and help preserve its value for decades to come.

#1 - Service Your AC
With summer temps topping 100 degrees, air conditioning systems must work extremely hard. Untended equipment can mean higher electricity bills, needless breakdowns and early replacement.

You can hire an HVAC contractor to do an annual tune up ($100 to $150), which includes changing filters, checking refrigerant levels, and cleaning the condenser— all of which can prolong the system’s life and maximize its efficiency. Also, ask the technician whether your system has filters that you should replace between services, an easy process you’ll need to do every two or three months. (Filter cost: $10 to $50.)

#2 - Check for Drainage Problems
In flood-prone areas, check any drainage swales located on your lot to ensure that these crucial drainage areas haven’t become clogged with debris and vegetation. Remove yard waste and any shrubs or plants that may interfere with the flow of storm water. Keep an eye on drainage channels or gutter openings in the street for debris as well. If you notice potential problems, notify the city. Keeping municipal water drainage systems working helps ensure that heavy rainfall will flow off properly, reducing the likelihood of water backing up and damaging your property.

#3 - Maintain Your Pool
Keeping your swimming pool clean and safe requires routinely testing and adjusting the chemistry of the water—including the chlorine and pH levels—vacuuming up leaves and debris, and adding water as needed. You can do these steps yourself or you can hire a pool company to handle the work for around $75 to $150 a month.

#4 - Prune Back Vegetation
Prune back any vegetation that’s encroaching on your house. Cut back shrubs and bushes so that they’re no closer than 3 feet from siding. Remove overhanging branches so they’re no closer than 10 feet from siding or roofing, preventing them from rubbing against exterior surfaces in the wind. Overgrowth can also present a fire and a flooding hazard. Check with local fire officials about exactly how wide an area should be kept clear around your home.

#5 - Seal and Paint Outdoor Structures
Treat exterior wood—whether an arbor, a gazebo, or a picket fence—with a wood preservative sealer, stain, or paint. Apply sealer or stain at least every other year. Choose a sealer that provides water repellency, mildew resistance, and ultraviolet light (UV)-blocking ability to defend against the constant Texas sun.

Recoat painted wood surfaces every three to five years with a top-quality exterior paint. The additional cost of premium paint will be offset by reduced maintenance and frequency of recoating. Always scrape, sand, and clean surfaces thoroughly before sealing, staining, and painting.

#6 - Care for Your Lawn
Proper mowing techniques are the best way to maintain turf health. Mow as often as required to ensure that you’re never removing more than one-third of the grass height; removing more than that may shock grass plants. Keep your mower blade sharp to avoid tearing the grass.

Use the mulch setting to return the grass clippings to the soil, where they help the soil retain moisture. Eventually, clippings decompose, providing nutrients for the lawn. Mulched clippings are better for your lawn than any fertilizer you put down.

Begin a fertilizing regimen that will strengthen your lawn’s roots and build disease resistance. You can get advice at your local home and garden store.