This Summer Maintenance Guide for a Healthy house goes along with my seasonal checklist series to help you create a healthy house through maintenance.  Many times to create a healthy house we simply remove toxins, but the truth is there’s a little bit of work involved in creating a healthy space by protecting your home as well.

As a home inspector, I see a lot of homes that have deferred maintenance issues on the exterior that end up affecting the interior of the home as well.  I truly believe if homeowners knew exactly what needed to be done, it would take the overwhelming feeling right out of home care and home maintenance.  Even if you’re not extremely handy or you’ve never owned a home before, if you know what needs to be done, you’ll have no problem tackling this list on a regular basis.​

When my summer list is paired with the other seasonal lists, you’ll be in great shape all year long.  Half the battle is just walking around your home to make sure you’re seeing what’s going on. If you never observe the the areas of your home, you’ll have no idea of serious changes that need to be monitored or repaired.  So if nothing else, just make sure you’re aware of what’s going on around your house and make mental notes about what you see and observe.

Second, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep moisture away from the foundation.  Moisture around the foundation and slab can wreak havoc on the interior situation of the home.  Other areas that you should keep moisture away from are any seams or components of exterior siding such as windows, doors and architectural components around the home.  Third is moisture to the roof area, especially around valleys, chimneys and vents.

Third is really working hard to use less energy over the summer.  Many parts of the country have hot, humid temperatures in the summer and keeping a house cool naturally is the key. The guide below will help you with some great ways to keep your home cool in the summer months and lower your energy use and costs. ​