5 Home Maintenance Tips for Summer

How Can I Maintain My Home During the Summer?

1. Check for infestations since summer speeds up pest reproduction.
2. Fix and clean the roof if needed.
3. Don’t expose furniture to the sun.
4. Close the windows and doors whenever possible.
5. Save and use water intelligently.

Termite control is probably one of the last things you would think of when you say “summer”. Instead, you would probably think of time and how you have lots of it during this fun season. What better way to spend this that to have leisurely quality time with your family and friends?

However, we should not forget that summer is also the hottest time of the year, thus requiring us to pay attention to the maintenance of our home as well; whether we spend our summer inside our home or not. After all, you wouldn’t want precious time to be wasted doing emergency home maintenance; such as the aforementioned termite control. So, in order for you to make the most out of your summer, follow these not-so-time consuming tips:

1. Termite Control

According to the Discovery Channel, the warmer temperatures of the summer tend to speed up the life cycle of insects. That means they’ll mature and reproduce faster than usual. This explains why there are ants everywhere during summer time. You may even notice that your wooden furniture is getting smaller and smaller. Uh oh! You might have some termites around. Be sure to inspect for any signs of infestation and call termite control right away if there is one.

While you’re at it, summer may also be the best time to look for breeding sites of dengue-causing mosquitoes. Keeping these around will definitely bring the danger of the dengue epidemic closer to your home once the rainy season starts. According to DOST, summer is the time when the mother mosquito transfers the virus to its offspring. Since they reproduce at a faster rate during this time, they can turn into threats sooner than expected. Thus, it is best to kill the larvae before they survive until the outbreak season.

If you do need to call termite control for a termite problem, then it’s also best to ask them for home maintenance tips as well. Usually, a pest control company specializes in fending off all sorts of pests. They can give you helpful advice so you will be almost pest free all year round. However, if you want to do it yourself, there are lots of DIY methods too; like the use of katol, sprays, and bed nets.

2. Roof Check

Because the weather outside is nice and sunny, there can be a tendency to leave the roof unchecked since there’s probably no rain water hurting it anyway. Even if you think it’s in perfect condition, checking to see if there are leaves stuck in the rain gutter won’t hurt. In fact, it will save you more time to clean any stray leaves during the summer rather than forgetting about it. Doing the latter may lead to a leaking roof during the rainy season. Imagine cleaning this out when it’s mixed with rain water. Not only will it be harder to do, but it will also be an unsanitary act.

Besides cleaning the gutters and downspouts, you can also check if your roof has developed cracks and holes and make sure you seal them in before they get bigger and cause more trouble in the rainy season. Also, holes on the roof could actually be a sign that you need termite control!

3. Check your furniture

You’ll be surprised how the intensity of the summer heat can affect your furniture. No matter how expensive and/or strong these are made of, the sun is much stronger. After all, it is a big burning “planet”.

Any furnishing that is made of leather should be kept away from the sun. Failing to do so will cause these pieces of furniture to fade in color and even become dry and brittle. Once this happen, there is no way to bring the old color back; even when re-dyed it by a professional. You might as well go and buy a new one.

The same goes for fabric and wood; color fading happens and it is irreversible. There’s also this reaction for some woods, like Maple, in which too much sunlight can cause them to have a “sun tan”; just like our skin. Meanwhile, woods like the American Walnut does the opposite. Exposure to sun will make the exposed area whiter. Use this knowledge in any way you’d like; you may want to keep certain pieces of wood furniture in or out of the sun’s rays. Just remember that there’s no turning back.

If you choose to keep the furniture away, then what you can do is place these far from the window. But if doing so is not an option, then try putting cloth over these. Also, thick curtains and window tinting is suggested. This will save you lots of money from having these re-colored or replaced. Not to mention, keeping the wood furniture away from exposure is a great DIY termite control method.

4. Open doors and windows = more dust

Often times, people like to open the windows, and even doors, during the summer to help cope with the heat. However, this allows more dust to accumulate inside. This is inevitable and unavoidable; unless you are okay with having a stuffy home during the summer. However, you should close these dust gateways whenever you can. For example, in the moments you are out, you can close the windows and doors to just your room; or the whole house if there’s no one home; or closing them during the night when it’s cooler. Making sure that these are closed during all possible times will help you save time cleaning the house from dust. Additionally, it physically keeps the pests out; lessening the need for pest and termite control.

5. Save water

Countries near the Pacific Ocean – such as the Philippines – faces El Nino every summer.  Basically, it’s temporary climate change in the body of the water that makes its surroundings really hot. This makes the dams of affected countries fall short of water.

Thus, if you live in such an area, it is best to save on water during the summer. If you’re storing water – maybe for drinking and planting – make sure that they are well sealed. You don’t want to attract mosquitoes and termites. Control how exposed you are to the sun as well, because this will cause you to perspire profusely and crave for water.

Key Takeaway

Home is where you’ll be staying most of the time during the summer, which is why you have to keep it safe from pests. Follow these tips to make sure your home is always well maintained during the summer. You wouldn’t want to wasted time cleaning leaves from your home or doing emergency termite control.