Your home has been snugged up tight for winter, but now the trees are budding, temps are rising, and Tucson’s weather is lovely enough to shed your home’s winter layers.
Now is the time to set the stage for summer gatherings and fun. In spite of the heat, you can still look forward to cooler mornings and evenings when the sun’s fury isn’t a factor. For now, daily temps are still moderate enough for you to be outdoors, and just maybe you have some last-minute landscaping, reinforcing, and tidying up to do before the desert cooks. Take advantage of the last days of spring and make those last little improvements to your home before summer takes over:
Prepare your grill
There’s nothing like the taste of sizzling brats and searing ribs cooking on your barbie in your backyard. Unless you left your grill clean after the last cookout, you will have to apply some elbow grease to remove the grease from your catch pan and grill bottom. If you have a propane grill, check the burners for clogs and make sure gas hoses are secure. If you’re a fan of charcoal grills, empty leftover ashes, and residue to enjoy a purer smoky taste in your dogs, burgers, or veggie products.
Check your sprinklers or drip system
The best way to supply water to your flowers, trees, or veggie garden is to set up a sprinkler or drip system. If you have one in place already, check it for leaky valves, exposed lines, and working sprinkler heads. If you notice stuttering in the water spray, you could have calcium deposits clogging up the holes or lines. Contact your local hardware store for a solution to the problem. You may even have to replace some equipment, but fortunately, most watering system and drip system materials are fairly corrosion-resistant. If you have a drip system you can put adjustable flag drippers in the ends of micro-poly tubing that you run to each plant and set the gallons dispensed per hour according to the needs of the plant.
Check for air leaks around doors and windows
You definitely want to prevent the futile task of cooling the outdoors by keeping all your wonderful AC indoors! Sneaky little cracks around your doorways and window frames can let your indoor cooling slip out without notice so it’s good practice to check caulking and weather stripping around these areas. To check for small drafts, turn off fans and AC to prevent extra stirring air, light a small candle, and hold it up close to the cracks around windows and doors without moving. If the flame flickers or moves away from the crack constantly, that will indicate leaks. Either replace sealants yourself or have a professional help you.
Get your roof inspected
This may naturally be part of the terms of your homeowner’s insurance policy, but it’s a good idea to have shingles, tiles, coatings, flashing, and seams checks for potential leaking before monsoons hit this summer. Don’t underestimate what constant gusts of wind and soaking rains occurring several days out of the year can do to roofing materials! If you have weak areas that could potentially rot under duress from the summer heat, a professional will spot the problem and advise a proper solution.
Get your windows cleaned
You would be amazed at the difference it makes to have your windows cleaned completely and professionally! Store-bought window cleaning solutions can tide you over for the short term but a window cleaning service will clean your windows inside and out and remove extra debris that you may not be able to reach safely on your own. Brightening the appearance of your home with professionally cleaned windows will enhance how you see the world from inside your comfortable home sweet home!
