Ah, summertime — no school; long, lazy weekends; oodles of vacation days. So now what? Get to work, that’s what. Buck up, bub.
Home
• Join the fan club: Install an energy-efficient ceiling fan — it can reduce your summer energy bill up to 40 percent, plus makes an 85 degree room feel like a comfy 78.
• Keep cool: Have your air conditioner serviced, or at least replace filters, inspect ductwork and repair leaky joints or connections.
• Get it out of the gutter: Remove debris with a spoon or garden shovel, then hose out the gutters and downspouts. And be careful about it.
• Time to caulk: Check windows and door frames for openings, and use latex caulking (on a warm, dry day) to fill them. This will lower your cooling bill and keep summertime creepies from crawling in.
• Sweeps weeks: Hire a chimney sweep now, so you’ll have plenty of time for repairs before fireplace season.
• Wash it out: Wash the outside of your house with a regular old garden hose and mild detergent. Leave the pressure washers to a pro.
• Fill ’em up: Repair driveway and sidewalk cracks. For cracks less than ¼ inch, clean with a high-pressure hose, let it dry and then fill with concrete caulk. For larger cracks, use concrete patch instead.
• Hose holes? Check the water hoses on your washing machine, refrigerator icemaker and dishwasher for cracks and bubbles.
• Deck check: Check your wooden deck for deterioration and hazards, then clean and seal it. (Ideally, it’s a three-day job, as long as they’re three warm, sunny days. Day one: Dry out the deck. Day two: Apply deck cleaner and scrub the deck. Let it dry 24 hours. Day three: Apply deck sealer.)
• Look up: Check attic fans, and look for nests or blockage in roof-mounted vents.
• Get out of town! But first, burglarproof your house. Test automatic light timers and motion-detector systems, check window and door locks (every exterior door should have a deadbolt) and trim back burglar-hiding bushes.
Yard and garden
• Pick it up: Clear any debris that could smother your grass, and dump anything that could collect water (and lure pesky mosquitoes).
• Water wisely: Don’t water during the middle of the day. When it’s not so hot and dry, water slowly and deeply with soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems.
• We’re pulling for you: Weed early and often.
• Bring on the mulch: Add an organic mulch (dry grass clippings or compost) to your vegetable garden, 2-3 inches deep.
• Perk up pathways: Fill in skimpy gravel paths with fresh stones, and secure or replace broken bricks or stepping stones.
• Pool your resources: Fight algae buildup with more frequent cleanings, longer filter runs and conditioners.
• Loosing limbs: Cut away dead or dangling tree branches.
• Play it safe: See Dick and Jane swing and squeal on sturdy playsets — securely grounded, with no rusty bolts or poky parts.
Sources: www.bellaonline.com; http://homegarden.realtor.com; www.statefarm.com; www.diynetwork.com;www.travelersnj.com; www.homestore.com; www.pbs.org; www.demesne.info; Mary Robson, retired area horticulture agent for Washington State University/ King County Cooperative Extension.
Our Sponsors
