{"id":15201,"date":"2019-06-24T14:39:11","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T20:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virtuance.com\/?p=15201"},"modified":"2019-06-24T14:39:11","modified_gmt":"2019-06-24T20:39:11","slug":"summer-maintenance-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/blog\/summer-maintenance-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t sweat it! Your simple guide to summer’s 8 most important home maintenance tasks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"summer<\/a><\/p>\n

via Realtor.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Before you go into full-on summer mode, bear with us: There are a few home maintenance tasks you should tackle to keep your home in tiptop shape all season long.<\/p>\n

Buzzkill, we know. But the good news is we’ve done the heavy lifting for you, identifying the top items to address\u2014and what professional help will cost if you want to throw in the (pool) towel.\u00a0Check these eight projects off your to-do list before firing up the grill.<\/p>\n

1. Maintain your refrigerator<\/h3>\n

To keep your refrigerator running efficiently in these hot months, you’ll want to vacuum and clean the condenser coils, defrost the freezer, and clean the seals around the door. Then, scrub\u00a0your fridge inside and out\u2014a task that’s “often overlooked, but it’s a great way to ensure the cool air in the fridge is remaining where it belongs: inside,” says\u00a0Ron Shimek<\/strong>, the president of\u00a0Mr. Appliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"cleaning<\/a><\/p>\n

DIY:<\/strong> This is an easy afternoon activity\u2014although it might get a bit nasty if dirt has accumulated on the coils.<\/p>\n

Call in the pros:<\/strong>\u00a0Fridge making funny sounds? A pro can figure out why. It might just be replacement time, though.\u00a0Wirecutter’s top pick <\/a>is $1,620, and its favorite budget model will run you a cool $600.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Keep expanding wood from causing cracks<\/h3>\n

Hot weather makes wood\u2014and many other construction materials\u2014expand. And over time, this expansion and contraction cycle can cause damage to your house.<\/p>\n

“The effect can vary depending on the humidity and climate, but after a while, you may have breaches in the seals around your home,” says\u00a0Craig Ricks Jr.<\/strong>, the president of\u00a0Acadian Windows and Siding<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Inspect the seals around your windows, roof, door frames, vents, ducts, and outdoor faucets, and take note of any cracking.<\/p>\n

Not only are you ensuring your hard-working AC keeps its efforts inside the house, but you also “prevent unwanted bugs and critters from entering,” Ricks says.<\/p>\n

DIY:<\/strong>\u00a0Small cracks can be easily filled with spray foam or wood filler.<\/p>\n

Call in the pros:<\/strong> If the trim around your doors or windows looks screwy, an expert can fix the problem. Expect to pay about $160 to fix an exterior door<\/a>, depending on the severity of the damage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Bust out the power or pressure washer<\/h3>\n

Months of harsh weather have probably left your siding and hardscaping looking a little dingy.<\/p>\n

“This gets overlooked, but it’s a huge part of keeping up the curb appeal of your home,” says mortgage broker\u00a0Jennifer Harder<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"power<\/a><\/p>\n

Plus, a good pressure washing cleans out the dirt, preventing rot or other unwanted intrusions.<\/p>\n

DIY:<\/strong>\u00a0Have some fun! Renting a power or pressure washer\u00a0costs between $50 and $200<\/a>. (You’ll want a power washer, which uses hot water, for serious stains, and a pressure washer, which uses\u2014you guessed it\u2014pressure for dust and dirt.)<\/p>\n

Take some basic precautions before starting: Harder recommends covering any plants, electrical outlets, and windows to avoid any mishaps.<\/p>\n

Call in the pros:<\/strong>\u00a0Pressure or power washing can be a big project. If you’re not up to the task, a pro will charge\u00a0between $60 and $100 per hour<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Give your washing machine a break<\/h3>\n

Just like your fridge, your washing machine deserves some TLC during summer\u2014especially if you have kids. All of those dirty sports jerseys and mud-soaked pants give the machine a serious workout. Check your hoses for leaks, and clean your lint filter, too.<\/p>\n

\"cleaning<\/a><\/p>\n

And when you do the laundry, wash full loads and use cold water whenever possible, Shimek suggests.<\/p>\n

DIY:<\/strong>\u00a0A basic washing machine inspection is simple, and swapping new hoses for cracked, old versions is an easy DIY.<\/p>\n

Call in the pros:<\/strong>\u00a0If something’s majorly wrong, you might need to call for a repair, which will cost\u00a0between $120 and $500<\/a>, depending on the severity of the problem.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See all 8: https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/home-improvement\/summer-2019-home-maintenance-tasks\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

via Realtor.com Before you go into full-on summer mode, bear with us: There are a few home maintenance tasks you should tackle to keep your home in tiptop shape all season long. Buzzkill, we know. But the good news is we’ve done the heavy lifting for you, identifying the top items to address\u2014and what professional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14503,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,47],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14503"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15201"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15204,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15201\/revisions\/15204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}