Now that it’s springtime in Florida and the temperatures are reminding everyone of summer, it’s time to start thinking about the summer ahead. Your home will need some preparations to endure the severe temps and hot time of year especially being followed by hurricane season.
While some will be heading back north to enjoy cooler temperatures, everyone staying down south along with their homes will be enduring the very hot temperatures. That means it’s time to check on the pool, check on the cooling system, and so much more.
Here are the 3 main tips you should do to care for your Florida home to prep for summer in Florida:
Prepare your cooling system
While you’ve likely already turned on the air conditioner this spring, you may not be running it very often. This summer, it will be a constant source of relief from the heat which means it needs to be in tip-top shape ahead of time.
This is a great time to get your air conditioning system checked on and serviced by a professional. Knowing you’ll have proper air conditioning will allow you to feel relaxed knowing that you can count on being comfortable. In some cases, AC maintenance has prevented air conditioner fires too.
Clean up the exterior
Now is a great time to clean up the exterior of your home. start with the windows and give them a good wash, along with the screens, and fix any caulking that might be letting in bugs. Then work on the caulking on the doors.
Look around to see if any other holes need to be repaired letting in bugs or even snakes and squirrels. Take care of other options for animals to get in, like tree branches that need trimmed, cleaning up yard debris, mowing more frequently, and sealing outdoor trash bins.
Next, it’s a good time to work on your plants by adding more mulch where weeds might try to grow. Trim your plants and bushes too. Then you may want to pressure wash the driveway and walkways to clean up the exterior.
You may even find spots to touch up paint or that part of your outdoor play equipment could use some maintenance for the kids. Lastly, make sure you’ve cleaned up gutters, repaired holes in your hose, repaired any spots on your deck, and cleaned the grill for your upcoming barbeques.
Indoor cleaning
Now that the exterior and air conditioner are ready, it’s a great time to spring clean inside the home. Start by cleaning all of the vents including the vent of your bathroom fans, your dryer vent, and exhaust duct, and the air conditioner filter. Then take the time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Next, you’ll want to clean some of the unusual spots, like the bathroom drains, the showerheads, and the baseboards. You’ll want to reverse the direction of ceiling fans to make sure they are spinning counterclockwise because, in that direction, the air will blow straight down keeping things cooler.
Make sure the fan blades are also cleaned, balanced, and working properly. Lastly, clean up the chimney by hiring a chimney cleaning service that can get it handled long before you’ll want to turn it on again this fall. These are the 3 best ways to care for your Florida home going into the summer so that everything feels good, looks good, and runs properly. Use this season to spring clean around the home so that you can enjoy your home during the hot summer or head up north knowing everything has been done!